


Purely Physical (Heart Thief)

by Gelflings_in_a_Tardis



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe: Everyone Lives No One Dies, BAMF Nori, Bilbo is a girl, Bilbo is in denial, Dwalin Is A Softie, Dwalin Loves Cookies, F/M, Families of Choice, Female Bilbo, Fluff and Angst, Gandalf Ships It, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kili and Fili are little shits, Misunderstandings, Multi, Nori and Bofur are best friends., One Ring was destroyed long ago, Ori Is A Sweetheart, Porn With Plot, There will be Dwobbits, Thorin Is an Idiot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-05-28 07:41:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15043997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gelflings_in_a_Tardis/pseuds/Gelflings_in_a_Tardis
Summary: Briar Baggins hadn't meant to become a Burglar, it just happened. She never took anything that would be missed or wasn't hers to begin with. She's not sure she's up to stealing an entire Mountain from a DRAGON! That is until she meets a face from her past when he waltzes into her smial with the rest of the Company.Nori draws her like a moth to the flame and every time they come together they swear it's the last. When the others catch on they swear it's purely physical nothing more.Will they figure out they've stolen each other hearts before it's too late?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my other favorite pairing beside Dwalin and Bilbo!  
> Kudos are awesome and comments are even better! 
> 
> Timeline and distance fiddling to suit my needs. I apologize if it bugs anyone.

Briar Baggins was a kind hearted lass that lived in a lovely smial built by her father Bungo for her mother Belladonna; it was a comfortable home that bespoke all things Hobbit's valued: Food, Family and Comfort. She came from well-to-do families on both sides and her doting parents let her want for nothing. Whatever her heart had desired within reason they had given her even when she wanted to go on an adventure like her mother had in her youth.  
Bungo was a Baggins, proper, a little stuffy and quite happy to stay at home with his beautiful wife and sweet daughter but he had married Belladonna Took. Tooks were wild free spirits that all had adventures of some sort before they settled down to have families most notably Briar's uncle Hildifons who left on an adventure and never returned. He sent his mother Adamanta Took a letter about once every six months so they didn't declare him dead but he never disclosed where he was or what he was doing.

Briar hadn't meant to become a burglar; in the beginning it started as taking back what was hers from those klepto inclined Sackville-Bagginses. First Lobelia had taken Briar's favorite doll so Briar slipped in and took her back, then Aunt Camelia, Lobelia's mother slipped Belladonna's silver serving spoons in her skirt pocket as they were cleaning up from Bungo's birthday party so Briar reversed pick pocketed her by taking the spoons and slipping some shoddy pewter ones back to replace them.  
From there it almost became a game between the Sackville-Baggins and Briar to see if she could steal back what they had pocketed except they never knew it was Briar doing to the retaking.  
Aunt Camelia would have preferred being dipped in tar than admit to her oldest brother that she had been trying to steal from him for years only for the items to disappear and turn up back in their rightful home.   


When Briar neared her twentieth year she began to ask to go on an adventure that took her farther than Bree though she cared not in which direction. It had taken almost 5 years to wear Bungo down to agreeing that they would take a trip to the dwarven settlement in Ered Luin much to his wife and daughter's excitement.

The trip to the Blue Mountains went smoothly and Briar had never felt so free before as she walked alongside her parent's wagon. The spring mountain air was crisp in her lungs and they were high enough up the foot hills that she could look down into the valley feeling like she could see forever. She knew it silly but she almost felt as though she could see all the way to the Shire from where she sat on a boulder eating an apple. The deer trail she had followed was too 'muddy' her father claimed for her parents to want to follow her but the wink he gave her she knew he wanted a moment alone with mum. Belladonna and Bungo never hid their affection for each other from their daughter stating many times that she'd never be able to find true love if she never saw any examples of it. So she left her parents to it and went exploring down the deer trail until she found a break in the trees that afforded a most spectacular view.

 _I hope I can find someone that adores me the way Dad adores Mum._  


_What about Andwise Bolger_ whispered a voice in the back of her mind that sound a lot like Primula.

She snorted picturing Andwise in her mind’s eye. Andwise was nice enough but he didn't send a thrill through her, hell he barely elicited a small blush and that was after he'd stolen a kiss from her at the Yule celebration in the Great Smials. Andwise was a regular Hobbit fellow with curly blond hair and amber colored eyes, he was already forming the soft middle that most Hobbit males sported and the hair that covered his feet was a darker blond than the hair on his head. But there was nothing exciting about him, nothing that made her heart race or made her want to seek him out.  
So caught up in her thoughts Briar missed the fact that she wasn't alone anymore until she looked down from her perch to see a most peculiar fellow looking back.  
"You're a dwarf!" she blurted out before clapping hands over her mouth.  
"And you're a Hobbit far from home," the rakish smile he gave her made her face feel hot and she was tempted to fan herself.  
He had the most intriguing hair style she had ever seen on another being. His beard was just as red as the hair on his hair and there were so many braids she thought she might go cross eyed trying to trace them all even his eyebrows were braided! The sun light glinted off something metal hidden in the middle peak of his hair and she leaned forward to see what it was forgetting that she was on top of such a large boulder.  
A hand thrown out to steady her hit nothing but air and suddenly she was falling right towards him!   
Briar had fully expected the dwarf to step aside to let her hit the dirt and couldn't stop the squeal of shock when instead she was caught up in a pair of ridiculously muscular arms.

"It's alright lass I got you." she felt the words rumble in his impossibly broad chest and as she looked up at him she didn't miss the thrill of heat that shot through her.

"I- Thank you Master Dwarf." she murmured suddenly feeling very shy as she peeked up at him through her lashes.

There was that smile again and she couldn't help running her hand down his arm starting from his shoulder, the leather ridges of his jacket rough under her finger tips.

A noise from the dwarf brought her eyes up to his face and her breath caught; his eyes were a dark grey green like sage in a shadow and she felt like they were looking deep into her soul.

"OI DROP HER!" bellowed a distinctly male voice from the trees. 

And the dwarf did just that!

Briar landed on her rump at the dwarf's booted feet and turned to see her father bearing down on them with a shovel. Bungo looked enraged with his dark curls flying and mud splattering his britches as he stormed down the trail with murder in his eyes. She rushed to get to her feet and placed herself between her shovel wielding father and the mystery dwarf. 

"Sweet Yavanna Dad! Dad it's alright! He saved me from falling off this boulder! Tell him Master Dwarf." she whipped her head around only to discover he had slipped away!

After that she wasn't allowed to wander anymore and for the rest of the trip she might as well have been tied to her mother for she wasn't allowed more than arm’s length away. She watched for that dwarf to surface again while they traveled; she searched for a flash of red in the trees and every time she spotted one her heart would leap thinking it was him only for it to be a fox or red tailed hawk.  
They were turned away from entering the dwarven settlement proper by guards citing that there was an outbreak of the flu going round.  
The Baggins family gave it no thought as they turned to go back home slightly disappointed and they soon forgot about it until Bungo began to cough as they reached the bottom of the mountains. He refused to admit anything was wrong till they reached the Tower Hills when his fever began, by the time they reached Far Downs he was relegated to resting in the back of the wagon on a cushion made of their spare clothes and covered by all of their cloaks since he couldn't stop shivering.

Belladonna pushed the ponies hard and refused to sleep until they reached help in Michel Delving. As they arrived Bungo lost the color in his face and began to hack harder than ever; Briar wouldn't know until much later that he had begun to cough up blood when they reached the White Downs.  
Her mother pulled up outside a cousin's smial shrieking for help in the twilight hours. Briar was separated from her parents as cousins bundled her off to the kitchen for some 'proper hobbit food' and her mother followed the others as they took Bungo into a healing room.

Neither hobbitess was prepared for Bungo to pass into Yavanna's Gardens as the sun was coming up.

Briar blamed herself as she held her weeping mother and swore she'd never go on another adventure.  
  
  
                                                                                                                 
  
                                                                                                                                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  
  
"Briar Baggins you cannot just ignore part of yourself." Belladonna chided her only child from where she lay in the bed she had shared with her husband.   
"I can and will. My want of an adventure is what killed Daddy and now you." the lass turned glassy eyes to look at her.   
Belladonna's heart hurt at the wounded look in her daughter's lovely green eyes and held her hand out to her; the older hobbit cursed Yavanna that she no longer had the strength to rise from the bed. Briar reluctantly crossed the room to her mother's bedside and took the offered hand with a sniffle.   
They sat like that in silence just soaking in each other's presence, ignoring the sound of family stirring out in the sitting room where most of the immediate Took clan was gathered waiting to be of help to the fading female.    
The room was the same as it had ever been since Bungo built it for her but in that moment it felt so much smaller as she stared at Briar. Gone were the chubby cheeks of a tween and in it's place were high cheek bones that mirrored her own, honey colored curls spilled down past her shoulders, drooping leaf shaped ears hiding in her crowning glory. Eyes that were so similar to Bungo's in shape and color were clouded with unshed tears; traces of tears already wept crept over the bridge of freckles that adorned her pert little nose.   
"I'm sorry Momma" slipped past Briar's full lips so softly that if Belladonna hadn't seen her lips move she would have thought she'd imagined the words.   
Skin smooth as fresh cream was softer than a petal under her hand as she cupped her daughter's cheek "What ever for sweetling?"   
The tears spilled over her fingers as Briar shook her head "This is all my fault."   
"Oh _annwyl_ none of this is your fault" she crooned "You had no way of knowing that there was a sickness going through Ered Luin."   
"But-but if I had been a proper Baggins and stayed here in Hobbiton none of this would be happening." Briar sobbed pressing her face into her mother's shoulder.   
Anger coursed through her veins and Belladonna used both hands to bring Briar's face up from her shoulder "Now listen here Briar Belladonna Baggins! I do not know what poison Camelia and Lobelia have been dripping in your ears while I've been abed but know this. You Are My Daughter and You ARE a Proper Bloody Baggins! You ARE also A Proper TOOK and none of this is your fault. No one knows what the Valar have in store for us until it happens. Now I want you to promise me that the next chance you have to go on an adventure you'll seize it with both hands."   
Briar's eyes were wide and she began to shake her head "But Momma..."   
She shook her dark head in answer "Don't 'But Momma' me Briar Baggins. I want you to promise me that you will go on an adventure and not stay in Hobbiton to waste away and lose your fire. PROMISE!"   
Briar bobbed her golden head "Alright Momma I promise. I promise I will go on the next adventure that comes my way."   
With a sign Belladonna sank back against her pillows "That's my girl. Now could you please go get your Aunt Donnamira?"   
  
Belladonna Took Baggins passed into Yavanna's Gardens to join her husband the following morning and Briar was alone until one day over a year later an old friend wished her good morning. 

  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Briar is visited by an old friend and someone from her past lights a fire in her heart again.   
> Nori arrives and things get hot.   
> ***Graphic Sex at the end of the chapter***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations   
> Khuzdul  
> serej bund~ idiot.
> 
> Welsh.  
> Rwyf am i'ch ceiliog~ I want your cock.

The breeze smelled sweet as it made Briar's flowers wave to her where she sat on her favorite garden bench reading a book. Smoke rings issued from her lips floated up to the clouds and she smiled with a tear in her eye as she thought of her mother. Yesterday had marked a year since Belladonna had joined Bungo in Yavanna's Gardens and while Briar was thankful her mother no longer was suffering her heart ached with how alone she felt. Her Took Aunts and Uncles had stayed as long as they could after the funeral but they had to return home to Tuckborough leaving her alone for the first time in her 33 years of life.   
The Baggins side visited her occasionally but they were not much for coddling her since it had been 8 years since Bungo had passed and she was now of age.   
Aunt Camelia and cousin Lobelia visited for tea once a week, using the time to ask her when she planned to get married, what was she going to do with such a roomy smial and surreptitiously trying to sneak some mathom or piece of silverware out with them. She would then have to brush off her dark clothing and sneak into their home to retrieve her belongs; if they had been particularly horrendous that visit she'd help herself to one of Camelia's pies and loosen all the draw knobs or take all the buttons and toggles from their coats. After a disastrous meeting where Camelia tried to strong arm Briar into giving Bag End to Lobelia as a wedding gift she had let loose a sack of chipmunks in the Sackville-Baggins smial.   
Yule had been a disaster of epic proportions that sent Briar packing in knee deep snow to her grandfather's AFTER she had let a bunch of her Uncle Isembard's squirrels free in Camelia's pantry. Isembard had rescued the little grey squirrels on one of his treks around the Shire while on patrol with the Bounders and they imprinted on him. Most did not know he had them and he was more than happy to lend the trouble makers to Briar after Camelia had tried to get her drunk at the Green Dragon before pushing her into the arms of Griffo Boffer.   
Briar thanked her lucky stars that her Uncle Adalgrim was there that night and saved her from a scandal. But embarrassment pushed her to join her Uncle back in Tuckborough to ring the New Year and Aunt Camelia found herself blacklisted from many social gatherings come spring thaw.   
  
A rare smile curled her lips as she remembered how hard Uncle Longo had laughed when telling her about the chipmunks hiding in Lobelia's pillow where she had hid some biscuits and how the squirrels had ate all the nuts Camelia had set aside for holiday treats. Uncle Longo knew how his wife and daughter were but tried to stay out of their busybody schemes if he could. He gave Briar a heads up when possible but there were times when Camelia wouldn't even tell her husband her newest idea to get Bag End for her daughter.   
Longo's favorite tale was about how his daughter had lost her key to the front door only for them to find it on the stoop frozen in a block of ice so large that they'd had to get help moving into their home to thaw.   
  
  
  
  
"Good Morning!" a cheerful voice called to her from the garden gate.   
A tall Man stood before her smiling with a tall grey hat reaching like a spire towards heaven; everything about the Man was grey from his beard to his boots even his eyes looked grey! There was something familiar about him that she just couldn't put her finger on so she smiled back like her mother taught her and returned his salutation.   
He leaned on his staff and seemed to study her for a touch too long making her shift uncomfortably and shut her book. She tucked her pipe in her pocket and ran a hand over her unruly curls before fixing the look that Hamfast had dubbed her 'business face' on.   
"Good Morning." she repeated standing up from the little bench and smoothing her skirts.   
"Do you mean to wish me a Good Morning or that it is a morning to be good or that it is a good morning whether I like it or not?"   
His question stopped her as she turned towards the round door to her home "What an odd question. All three I suppose!"   
Grey eyes sparkled as he laughed and as quickly as it came the mirth left just as fast.   
"I am looking for someone to share in an Adventure."   
The breath she was taking seemed to freeze in her lungs as her promise to Belladonna looped through her mind " _Promise me you'll go on the next adventure that comes your way. PROMISE!"  
Oh you knew this was going to happen didn't you mother?   
  
_Sweat prickled the palms of her hands and she rubbed them against her skirt while she found her breath again.   
"Really? Have you tried looking over the water in Bree? You'll find no one here that wants an adventure. Nasty things, make one late for dinner! Good Morning!"   
Belladonna's voice was giving her a right scolding about going back on her deathbed promise as she laid a hand on the shiny brass door knob.   
"To think I would live long enough to be Good Morning-ed by Belladonna Took's daughter like I was someone selling buttons door to door!" the Man mused with a chuckle.    
Briar spun to look at the fellow closer "No," she breathed "you can't be the Wandering Wizard?"   
He threw his arms wide "I am Gandalf and Gandalf means me!" a clap of thunder came from nowhere as he announced himself and she checked the sky for thunderheads.   
The stone steps barely registered to her toes as she raced to the gate throwing it wide to seize Gandalf in a hug "I remember you now! You had the best fireworks at the Old Took's Birthday party!"   
Gandalf smiled down at her "Ah yes that was so long ago I'm surprised you remember! You were knee high to a duck at most at that time."   
She took his wizened hand in hers "Oh please come in for elevenses."   
Her request creased his face in a grandfatherly smile and he nodded that he would join her.   
  
  
Gandalf folded himself into the only chair close to accommodating his height and watched Briar putter around the kitchen humming a little tune. It had pained his old heart to see her looking so tired and sad sitting there in her mother's garden on Belladonna's favorite bench. Sorrow had taken the glow from the young hobbitess' cheeks and she was much thinner than other hobbits he'd seen at her age. The spark the flashed in her eyes at the mention of an adventure let him know that she still had the fire she'd need for this quest. He patted the breast pocket of his robes feeling the letter within.   
Belladonna had written him when she had first started feeling the effects of the Fade, unfortunately the missive did not find him until after she had left this world for the next. She had asked him to please look after her daughter and that if he came across any adventures to please get Briar to go along. The matron had been terribly worried that Hobbiton was going to make Briar lose her spark and she'd end up miserable.   
Belladonna's bright eyes and laugh flashed in his mind's eye and he closed his eyes at the pain her passing brought him. She had been a true friend, a daring adventurer and the world felt dimmer now that she wasn't a part of it.   
"Would you like milk and sugar?"   
Briar's bright voice chased away the sorrow and when he opened his eyes her bright green eyes replaced her mother's dark brown.   
"Both my dear" he answered giving her a soft smile.   
The little hobbit smiled back and he had the distinct impression that she did not have much to smile about, the flare of anger that flickered to life in his chest surprised him and he couldn't help but wonder had been going on since her mother's passing.   
  
The array of food Briar put out for elevensies was impressive and as Gandalf stared at it all she began to worry she had overdone it.   
"This looks marvelous Briar! I cannot wait to try it all." her mother's oldest friend praised her while loading his plate down.   
He dug in with such appetite she wondered if he was a hobbit in disguise; smiling with that thought she tucked into her plate of food and enjoyed not eating alone for once.   
The quiet that filled the room was so pleasant and relaxing that Briar should have known something or rather someone was going to pop up to ruin it.   
Gandalf's head turned in the direction of the door as Briar crouched down behind her chair.  
"I'm not here!" she hissed as the knocking increased in strength.   
"Briar Baggins I know you are in there! You are being rude! I brought a guest!" a shrill voice carried through the open window.   
"Go away you evil woman." Briar whispered as she slipped under the table to sit.   
Gandalf had to put a hand over his mouth to contain the mirth that wanted to slip out as the knocking continued.   
"Fine Briar, be that way! Andwise and I will be back! Come on Andwise I'll buy you a pint till tea time." the harpy shrilled and he could hear a softer male voice respond "Alright Mrs. Baggins but I told you I don't think Briar likes me like that. We're just friends."   
"Oh no not this again" Briar moaned crawling out of her hiding spot.   
  
"Briar what is going on? I do not recall your mother ever hiding under the table from visitors."   
Heat raced up her neck and didn't stop till she thought the tips of her ears were glowing "Yes well Mum never had to deal with Aunt Camelia trying to steal the silverware, convince me to give Bag End to Lobelia or get me involved in some sort of scandal."   
The shadows seemed to stretch from the Istari as his eyes widened with outrage "She did what?"   
Bungo's voice repeated one of his many sayings in Briar's head  _When a wizard asks you a question you'd best answer him and quickly.  
_ So she straightened her shoulders looked Gandalf in the eye and told him everything that Aunt Camelia and Lobelia had done since Belladonna had died. By the end Gandalf was holding his staff so tightly his knuckles were white and Briar almost hoped Lobelia would turn up just so Gandalf could turn her into a frog or something disgusting.   
He sat so still and quiet that Briar began to clear the table around him and hoped she hadn't broken something in his mind.   
The thump of his staff meeting the floor made her jump so bad she almost dropped the crock holding the beans and she whirled around to scold him for scaring her only to find him standing with a determined look in his grey eyes.   
"Well dear Briar there is only one solution for your problem." he stated with a nod.   
She planted her hands on her hips and scowled up at him "And what would that be?"   
A smile split his face and made the laugh lines standout around his eyes "You shall go with me on an adventure!"   
  
"An adventure? Me?" she squeaked bring a hand up to her mouth to worry a nail "Can I? I mean I cannot! I have responsibilities and there is all my things, my tenants, Bag End..." her voice trailed off as the thrill of leaving it all behind sank in.   
"Nonsense my girl!" he laughed picking up his pointed hat "Drogo is more than prepared to take things over according to this letter your mother wrote me, and more so you know that Belladonna was scared of you staying here and being miserable."   
She sank on to the arm of her father's chair stunned. She knew he was right, about everything actually. Hope began to bud in her chest "Y-yes you're right. But what is this adventure? Will I come back?"   
"I will answer all once you meet the others that are coming along on this grand quest."   
"There are others? Coming here?" she exclaimed jumping to her feet to retrieve her coin purse and basket "Gandalf you could have told me sooner! How many?"   
The old man laughed as he followed down the hallway to the tiled entry way "Thirteen dwarves and myself. How could I have told you sooner? You were busy hiding under tables and trying to bid me Good Morning."   
She blushed as she patted her curls to make sure they were in order and then checked the front of her green frock for flour smudges.   
"You look lovely." his deep voice whispered as he opened the door for her.   
"Thank you Gandalf. I have not been told that in a very long time."   
Dabbing watering eyes with her lace hanky she followed him down the walk after locking the door "I should still have time to hit the market before they close. When will these dwarves be arriving?"   
Gandalf looked at the sky and held a hand out to the wind before answering her "The first shall arrive around sundown the rest will follow."   
  
  
Briar made it to the market in record time and looked behind her to see if she had left a vapor trail in her wake. First stop was the baker since there was no time left for her to make enough rolls for so many by suppertime then she went to the butcher and bought most of what he had left. Next stop was Hobson Gamgee for a couple strings of fish then she went to Farmer Maggots stand to buy what produce he had left.   
Her stride slowed as she passed Rowan Greenland's General Store her eyes taking in the walking holiday supplies displayed in the window.   
 _Nope I'll pick up what I need in Bree. No need to arouse suspicions just yet._    
  
"BRIAR BAGGINS!"   
"By all things green and growing Prim don't scare me like that!" she chided her favorite cousin who came popping out from between the shops.   
Primula Brandybuck couldn't help the devilish grin she wore as she took one of the shopping bags from her best friend.   
The pair of lasses chatted about family news as they wound their way up Bag-shot Row and it wasn't till they were squarely behind Bag End's round green door that Prim shared the real gossip she picked up from her Mum, Briar's Aunt Mirabella.   
"So I heard Mum saying to Aunt Donnamira that Camelia Sackville-Baggins is going to try to get you to marry Andwise."   
Briar dropped her basket and immediately checked to make sure it wasn't the one that held the eggs "WHAT! I don't think so!"   
She ran a hand down her face "Why is she trying to drag poor Andwise into it? He was crushed when I told him that I didn't care for him like that after the Solstice Celebration last summer."   
"But that didn't stop you from going behind the haystacks with him did it?" Prim winked at her.   
"Ugh" she dropped her head back to look at the ceiling beams "Why did I tell you that? I thought maybe if we had a romp in the hay something would click, alright?"   
"All that clicked was his cock to your pussy." her evil cousin cackled.   
"PRIM that's such a vulgar way to put it!" she squealed before looking away "Even if you are right. Anyways I have absolutely no interest in Andwise that way. Thank you very much."   
Primula was grinning like the cat that got the cream "That's what I told them but Donnamira said she thinks Camelia has something up her sleeve like what happened at Yule. They think you should come with me to Buckland or have maybe have Uncle Isembard and Uncle Hildibrand escort you to the Great Smials. The Old Took has been mentioning how much he misses you."   
Briar gave Prim a pointed look while pulling out pans and skillets "That was low bringing Grandpa into it, Primula Brandybuck. While I appreciate the offers to help me escape the wretched woman I must decline. Can you keep a secret?"   
Prim nodded so fast the a pin popped out causing her dark curls to fall around her shoulders.   
"Gandalf came to see me today."   
Prim snorted as she hopped up to sit on the counter crossing her ankles "That's not a secret! Bell Gamgee told me that when I was looking for you earlier. Did you know she's expecting again already? I think she's trying to break Grandma's record!"   
It was Briar's turn to snort indelicately as she began to chop vegetables to go in with her beef roast "Honestly Prim, she's only on her third faunt. Speaking of fauntlings how are things going between you and Drogo?"   
The pair passed the time laughing as Prim helped her make sauces, broil fish, bake pies and cookies, and by the time dusk came they were covered in flour but full of giggles.   
  
Prim swiped a cookie as Briar carried the tray past her and began to nibble it as she poured them both tea "So you avoided telling me what all this food was for AND what Gandalf wanted. Spill cousin dear."   
She accepted her tea and slid into a seat at the groaning table "I knew you wouldn't forget that."   
Her cousin gave her a wide smile as she stole a cucumber sandwich "Of course not. I promise I won't tell Mum... for a couple days anyways."   
Briar knew that was the best she was going to get from Prim "Alright. Gandalf has invited me on an adventure just like mum went on! And I've decided to go. Tomorrow I'm going to visit Uncle Hugo to arrange everything for Drogo to take over Bag End and the business if I leave."   
She had been expecting Primula to yell at her, possible call her an idiot but she had not been prepared for Prim to grab her in a bone crushing hug while telling her she thought it was a fantastic idea.   
"You do?"   
"I do. You're not happy here. If anyone was paying attention they could tell you are just going through the motions of what's expected of you. That is no way to live Briar and Aunt Belladonna wanted so much more for you."   
She squeezed Primula's hand before looking out the window "You should get going before night completely falls."   
Prim dusted off her pink dress and flashed her a smile "Drogo is picking me up here to walk me home. I think tonight is the night! This is our third walk this week." she giggled.   
  
  
Drogo had showed up promptly at six to pick up Primula, blushing as she pressed a kiss to his cheek in front of Briar before they bid their goodbyes.   
She had sped to her room quickly changing her flour coated dress for a skirt of mint green, a white chemise and a under-bust corset that had swirls of green vines with yellow blooms; she ran a comb through her curls adding a matching ribbon to help hold the mass back from her face. Not one for many cosmetics she couldn't resist adding a swipe of eyeliner and some rouge to her lips as a knock echoed down the hall.   
A mountain of a dwarf was standing there bristling with weapons when she swung the green door open.   
"Hello!" she curtsied "Briar Baggins at your service."   
He bowed with an arm across his chest "Dwalin at yours Mistress Baggins."   
She stepped aside and was in awe watching him duck to enter her home. He was bald with a black design decorating his scalp but what he lacked in head hair he made up for with a long black sideburns and beard.   
"Are there others with you?" she peeked around the door frame to look down the vacant lane.   
"They're coming" his deep voice rumbled as he shed his cloak and began to pull weapons from everywhere to place in her umbrella stand.   
 _Well that's one use for it.  
  
_ Ever the proper hostess she directed him down the hall to the dining room and smiled at his exclamation over so much food.   
A lighter knock came from the portal and she opened it to reveal a pleasant looking fellow with red robes and a beautiful long white beard.   
"Hello, Balin at your service."   
She curtsied again as she welcomed him into her home.   
It was quite a shock when Dwalin exclaimed "Brother!" before they butted heads in an alarming fashion! She almost rushed for the bandages but stopped when they appeared fine and began to speak in the language of the dwarves.   
Shaking her head at their behavior and the rough sound of their language Briar went back to the door as someone used the door knocker; this time there were two very handsome dwarves standing on her stoop.   
"Fili" announced the golden haired one with twinkling blue eyes.   
"Kili" proclaimed the brunette with a wide smile while he looked at her like she was something tasty.   
"At your service." they bowed in unison as they spoke.   
Cheeks flaming she curtsied "Briar Baggins at your."   
One stood on either side of her as she shut the door and looking up at them made her feel flush, heat coiling low in her belly. It had been so long since she had felt arousal it was a shock in and of it's self aside from the fact to handsome dwarves were causing the reaction.   
They smiled down at her, their eyes smoldering like they knew she was becoming aroused; Fili opened his mouth and Briar silently thank Yavanna for Dwalin interrupting at that moment to draft the pair into moving around her furniture.   
 _Yavanna's toes! They're so attractive! How in Her Garden am I attracted to them?  
  
Imagine being sandwiched between them! Hands running everywhere and their mouths covering my- Aule's Balls NO! I cannot be thinking of my guests like that.   
  
_Fanning herself with a cloth napkin she swiped from the counter she took in the way Dwalin had fixed the seating issue in the dining room, the table was still covered with plenty of food and she had made a mental note not to forget the pies she stuck in the ice box. Prim had helped her make both meat and fruit pies for just in case the group devoured everything they had put out.   
"Are the others far behind?" she asked Kili who was leaning against her wall with the expression he was undressing her in his mind.   
"Oi she asked you a question,  **serej bund"** Fili swatted Kili up the back of the head and he gave her a rueful grin "I'm sorry Mistress Boggins. Please forgive my little brother for apparently forgetting the manners our **Amad** taught him."   
Kili scowled at Fili rubbing his head "You are not that much older than me Fee."   
The pair looked like they were gearing up for a fight when Balin stepped between them "Fili help Dwalin" he pointed to where Dwalin was shifting some of her breakables to the sitting room "Kili go get some firewood for Miss Baggins."   
The elder dwarrow turned to her with a shrug "Younglings what can ya do. As to your question lass, we do not know. They didn't see anyone else on the road here."   
A bright laugh slipped from her lips and she froze for a moment before smiling in earnest "It's alright Master Balin. Thank you."   
  
They were all beginning to think no one else was coming when a chorus of knocks brought her down the hall at trot; throwing the door wide to what she assumed would be another pair of dwarves only to end up at the bottom of a pile of dwarves!   
Her exclamation of surprise was lost in a thunder of deeper voices groaning from the pile she was under. A warm hand brushed over her face clearing hair from her eyes and when she finally opened them it was to a pair of very familiar grey green ones looking back at her.   
Sounds faded to the background as she stared up into the eyes of the dwarf that had caught her so long ago, he stared right back and there was recognition. Neither seem to notice as the pressure on them lifted until he was helping pull her to her feet; his hand was so warm and felt so right holding hers that she did not even hear Gandalf when he began to speak to her.   
"Ahem" a silver haired dwarf cleared his throat "Would you mind letting go of our hostess, Nori."   
 _Nori.  
  
_ _His name is Nori._    
  
Matching blushes colored their cheeks and she apologized profusely to all gathered from ignoring the introductions. Briar did not miss the odd look the tidy silver haired one was giving Nori but she couldn't focus at anymore.   
A barrel chested dwarf stepped forward "I'm Gloin and this is me brother Oin. Don't mind 'im he's hard of hearing." he waved at the one with a black and grey mane with a tin horn.   
A smiling dwarf wearing an absurd floppy hat stepped up next "I'm Bofur and this is my brother Bombur" he motioned to rotund Dwarf with a massive red beard braided in a loop "and my cousin Bifur" she started as a dwarf with an ax head protruding from his forehead bowed.   
The proper one gave her a tight smile and a nod of his head "I'm Dori," he stepped to the side revealing a smaller dwarf with a bowl cut and wrapped in knit wear "This is our youngest brother Ori and you've met Nori." he waved to where Nori was standing so close to her she could feel his heat.   
He smiled at her and her stomach did a weird flip with junction of her thighs grew damp.   
"It's lovely to meet all of you. I am Briar Baggins, at your service. Please step into the dining room where there is plenty of food." she beamed at the group.   
  
The merriment and all the compliments the dwarves gave her over the fare she'd provided made her feel better than she had since Belladonna's Life Celebration. Gandalf informed her that there was still one more to join them so she made sure to set aside a plate of food, a couple meat pies and a few tarts; she stashed them in the oven since that seem to be the only place the dwarves didn't look as they emptied her kitchen and pantry almost completely.   
It felt as though she and Nori were dancing around each other all evening just barely touching and it was too noisy for them to share any words. If looks could speak it felt as though the star haired dwarf had stripped her bare more than once and it left her feel hot and distracted so distracted that she didn't hear Ori asking her what to do with his plate until the poor lad had repeated himself at least three times.   
"Oh here I'll- WHAT are you DOING?" she cried as Kili grabbed the plate from her hand and tossed it like a discus across the room to his grinning brother who then flung it to Bofur.   
"Now stop that! That is my Mother's West Farthing china!" she shouted as it sailed over her head and into the kitchen. Briar whirled around gaping in horror as she waited for the sound of shattering plates only to peek in and see Bifur washing the dishes as he caught them!   
Thumping drew her attention back to the dining room where Bofur had started a rhythm by slamming fists holding her cutlery down on the polished oak. The Baggins in her reared up and wanted to go grab him by the ear like a naught faunt but then they started to sing. Nori caught her eye and winked before joining the others in a rousing chorus.   
 _Chip the glasses and crack the plates!_  
 _Blunt the knives and bend the forks!_  
 _That's what Bilbo Baggins hates-_  
"Oh come on now I'm not being that bad!" she laughed "But please stop that you're going to mangle them!"   
 _Smash the bottles and burn the corks!_  
 _Cut the cloth and tread on the fat!_  
 _Pour the milk on the pantry floor!_  
 _Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!  
_ "You cannot be serious! I had better not find food in my room!" she cried ducking a flying tea pot and looking down the hall towards her bedroom door.   
The song ended with a bunch of them standing on her table and Nori did an impressive flip landing in front of her to spin her around " _That's what Bilbo Baggins hates! So, carefully! carefully with the plates!"  
  
  
  
_ Nori had looked for a chance to get the bonnie Hobbit lass in his arms all evening and he had seized the moment when Dori was distracted by the teas that Briar kept. He had recognized her the minute he'd landed on top of her and his heart had sung when she had smiled at him while telling them her name.   
Dori had given him an earful once introductions were over for landing on and then manhandling her as his older brother called it. Ori was intrigued and the only one that would listen to him about how he'd met her almost ten years ago; he'd given Nori a shy smile and tried to help him get near her.   
  
Now that he had her in his arms he did not want to let go of her and she seemed to feel the same if her putting her arms around his neck was any clue. Merriment lit something in her eyes that he had noticed was missing when he was nose to nose with her and he felt a small surge of satisfaction that she blushed so prettily every time he caught her eye.    
Briar's voice was breathy as she looked at the empty casks of wine on the table and the almost empty barrel of ale in the floor "I will need to retrieve more from the cellar before the last of you arrive."    
Dori stepped forward frowning at Nori before volunteering to go with her.   
"No" she declined "I- I think Master Nori can help me if he doesn't mind?" she caught his eye and she gave a small nod.   
The candle flared to the life and he raised his braided brows in question; she fluttered her lashes and took hold of his hand.   
"A-aye **Nadad** I'll help Mistress Baggins bring up more drink." he called over his shoulder as she pulled him towards to cellar door. He could see Dori standing there staring open mouthed at them before turning to fuss at Ori to eat some vegetables.  
   
The air cooled quickly as he followed the tiny female down the earthen steps; he took the time to take in her generous curves and the way her light green swirled around her, the corset that hugged a figure that made his mouth water. Gone was the chubby teen that he had saved from biting the dirt and now she was all mature female that apparently had some ideas he couldn't wait to learn. A faint musky sweet smell teased his nose and it took him longer than he cared to admit to realize the scent was coming from Briar!   
With a firm pull on his hand she had him around the corner so that they were not in view if anyone looked down there. Before he could even begin to form a question his arms were full of warm eager hobbit that used his braided beard to pull his lips down to hers.   
She tasted sweet unlike anything he had ever tasted before and the more she tugged on his beard the more fevered his kisses became until he tore away from her mouth to ghost it down the column of her throat. Soft breathy gasps answered every kiss and he spied a barrel off to the side that he decided to use to his advantage by lifting her to sit on it. It worked a charm putting her closer to his height and giving him full access to nibble her collar bones as he ran a hand up her leg. A soft moan was the sweetest sound as his clever fingers freed her breasts; he made a soft sound of his own as her nails grazed his ears holding him close to her.   
"Oh sweet Eru" she panted as he slipped his digits pass the edge of her soft panties to find her hot and dripping.   
Small hands left his hair and he felt them begin to pull at his clothing; she quickly and roughly shoved his vest off his shoulders and sounded like she almost purred as she got her hands under his tunic. Sharp little nails scrapped his back as he ran his tongue along the edge of her ear and her hips shifted as he teased her sensitive flesh, stroking her clit till he could feel her twitch.   
It was her turn to tease as she hooked her heels around his legs and her hot breath puffed against his throat before she sank her teeth in. So distracted he was by her teeth and hips bucking against the persistent teasing of his hand that he missed her undoing his belt until his pants dropped to his knees.   
"Mmmmm" she hummed as she wrapped one of those sweet little mitts around his cock causing all sense to flee him as she stroked him; she rubbed his head against the soaked lace covering her forge and he heard wood crack as he gripped the shelf behind her.   
 _"Is this teasing Master Nori?"_ she whispered as she ran a tongue over an exposed nipple, giggling as she tugged on the barbell that pierced it making him growl low in his chest.   
"Mahal's balls." he groaned as she did a twist with her hand that made his knees buckled.   
" _Rwyf am i'ch ceiliog."_ she moaned arching against him.  
He had no idea what she had just said but he got the implied message as he pulled the wet fabric to the side and pressed against her hot flesh.   
"Sweet Eru Briar say yes before you kill me." he grunted as she reclaimed his cock and rubbed against her pussy, it was taking everything he had not to take control and he wasn't sure her shelf could handle it if he increased his grip much more.   
" _yes."_  
The sigh that escaped her was sweet as he pushed her hand away and pushed his length into her heat. White flashed before his eyes as he stilled letting her adjust to him; he had seen Hobbit cocks before and knew that his made them pale in comparison.   
Her eyes were shining there in dim light as he looped an arm behind her pulling her against him for kiss that burned hotter than any forge.   
Briar set the pace and he kept up with her sliding in and out of her almost silently there in the dark. Sounds began to crawl from her softly at first and as he increased the tempo they grew louder until she buried her face in his neck to muffle her howls of pleasure. The howls turned to a shriek as he slipped his hands under her ass and lifted changing the angle as he pounded into her. A  
All words left him as she came silencing her scream by biting his neck and her clenching pussy tipped him over the edge as he slammed up into her, cumming so hard he saw stars.   
  
They were still catching their breath when Ori's soft voice spoke at the top of the steps "I-I'm sorry but Tharkun wanted me to tell you that Thorin is here. Do-do you need help Mistress Baggins?"   
Nori could almost hear his younger brother wringing his hands as he spoke and knew that he owed Ori much since he was sure Dori had wanted to come after them.   
Briar tipped her head back laughing "Sweet nectar NO, Ori. Thank you. We'll be right up."   
  
  
Briar held on to the barrel as Nori helped her down, her legs still shaking from her release. Nori winked at her and she found her cheeks heating as she realized he was erect again.   
She patted his cheek with her free hand "Oh if only we had more time."   
His laugh was warm and rich as he tucked himself away and fixed his clothing.   
Something felt off as she retrieved the bottles of wine she promised and as she went to climb the steps it struck her.   
"Where are my panties?"   
Nori had a barrel of ale on each shoulder, a smile the he couldn't seem to get rid of and a love bite blooming under the collar of his tunic "I thought you were wearing them."   
"So did I!"   
It started with a snort and by the time they reached the top of the stairs he was roaring with laughter while she struggled not to join him.   
Ori was still stationed by the cellar door and turned pink as he took in Nori's ruffled state before turning to Briar who was an almost matching shade of pink as the light revealed all.   
"Let me help." Ori took the wine and began to help her dust the wood splinters from her skirt, plucked a cobweb from her curls, righted her ribbon and made the laces of her corset even.   
The hobbitess smiled brightly at Ori "Thank you so much! I best be taking these to Gloin and meet this 'Thorin' bloke."   
The brothers watched her go and Nori couldn't resist elbowing Ori "Can't tell she lost her drawers can you?"   
" **Nadad**!" Ori hissed scandalized before he began to fuss over Nori like he had Briar.   
He managed to smooth the mussed braids, shook the dust from his vest but the love bite just wouldn't stay hidden.   
"If Dori sees that he's going to have kittens." Ori stated tugging at the collars of Nori's clothes.   
He grimaced thinking about the tirade that Dori would launch on and looked around the kitchen while he covered the bruise with his hand incase his older brother popped in.   
Ori snapped his ink stained fingers "I know! Here take this!" he pulled a grey cowl neck scarf out of one of his many pockets looping it around Nori's neck with a flourish.   
  
  
"I LOOK LIKE A WHAT? GET OUT!"   
The brothers shared a look "Oh shit."   
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Company departs and soon begin to notice the pair catching feelings. They both insist that it's nothing but a fling and to just drop it thank you very much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for any mistakes since I am typing this on my phone. I'll try my best to correct any mistakes before posting and I'll revise once my pc is working.  
> Thank you all for the love and comments! I am hot spotting with my phone right now since trying to find cheap wifi where I live is harder to find than someone who hates cheese lol

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" 

The scene that greeted the two brothers was something neither of them had ever expected to see. 

Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thror, Exiled King Under the Mountain was being marched out the lovely green door by 'their' tiny Hobbit woman who had a firm grip on his ear like he was a naughty dwarfling! Balin looked like he was in pain with his eyes pinched shut and a hand pressed against his brow. Dwalin looked very conflicted, the strain must have been phenomenal as he was turning the most remarkable shade of crimson; Nori could only assume the Guard was torn between laughing uncontrollably or rescuing Thorin from Briar's grasp. They could hear that she was lecturing the king on manners and etiquette for being accepted into anothers home and how he had failed miserably on both.                     
"Leave it to Uncle to insult our hostess five seconds after meeting her" Kili stated with a shake of his head "Balin, why didn't you stop him?" 

The look Thorin's advisor gave the Prince was very similar to Dori's patented 'are you fucking kidding me'.                                               
"Dwalin it's your turn."                                            
"Finally!" He crowed before popping Kili up the back of his head.                                             
"HEY! What was that for?" cried the younger Prince with a grimace while his brother fell off his chair cackling.          

Dori's face was an odd mixture of amused and embarrassed as he tried to look proper while sipping his tea, Gandalf was chuckling while shaking his grey head as he ducked out the front door to hopefully referee the now bickering pair; Briar's tirade was still running over Thorin's objections with snippets shouted about "not being taught any manners" and topped off with "even if I was like that I'd never do that with YOU!"   
A surprise feeling of pride and satisfaction made Nori smile at her shouting that to the raven maned king. It was well known that Thorin was could have his pick of females wherever he went and the fact that Briar apparently had no interest in him made Nori very happy. He tried to hide the smile on his face but a small scribe and keen eyed toy maker did not miss it. 

Nori sidled up beside Gloin and Bofur where they leaned trying to not look like they were making wagers.    
"How much you wanna get she keeps his ear?" He asked the pair with a wink.                    
Gloin let out a bark of laughter while Bofur shook his hatted head chuckling, Oin looked concerned as he adjusted his trumpet and leaned forward as he shouted "she's going to do what with his rear?" 

Laughter rang through the dining room as Briar entered exclaiming "I am doing nothing with his rear!"

 

The rest of the night went markedly smoother after a blushing Thorin entered behind an exasperated Tharkun to mumble an apology to Briar. She had forgiven him quickly enough and slid a plate of food in front of the King and took a perch near the wizard with a small glass of wine while she listened to Balin and Thorin begin to detail the portents and details of the Unexpected Journey.   
Nori couldn't help pouting a little that she did not return to him once things settled; he shook himself out of that quickly.

_What in the name of Durin am I doing?_

_Why do I care where she sits?_

A voice sounding very similar to his Amad answered that question _"because she rode you hard and put you away wet."_

The urge to roll his eyes was strong as he told that inner voice to hush and tried to think of a better romp than Briar Baggins. Only he couldn't think of a single one...   
 _Could Amad be right?  
  
_ _Rubbish I have never gotten attached anyone I've tupped before and I'm not about to start now. This will burn out in a fortnight and I'll just have memories to keep me warm in Erebor._

Ori was seated on his right and Dori had sat on the other side of Ori so that he could fuss at him quietly until the scribe had moved placing Nori in the middle.  
"What are you thinking so hard about **Nadad**? I don't think you've heard half the details of this quest nor what it is they are wanting Ms. Briar to do." his little brother whispered as his quill flew with his short hand notes.   
"Oh it's nothing, **Mizim** , just strolling down memory lane. No I did not hear what Ms. Baggins is supposed to do on this quest."   
"She's to be our Burglar and steal from Smaug."   
  


 

Briar looked down at the contract in her hand and for the felt excitement for the first time in a very long time. Balin hadn't forgotten a thing as she read his flowing script, it was perfect right until she came to the part about the Dragon and funeral expenses.

_A DRAGON?_

_Are you fucking kidding me?_

_Fool of a Took Gandalf did tell you there was a chance you wouldn't return._

_I can do this. How big can it be anyways?_

 

The low thrum of singing spread through her halls and it was so deep she could feel the baritone in her bones. It pulled at the very center of her being and she found herself drawing closer to where the Company was gathered.   
Thorin stood before her fireplace with the rest ringing out behind him as they sang, the glow and flicker of the flames only added to scene. The words held such sorrow that her heart cried in sympathy and she knew then that if she hadn't been decided already this song would have sealed the deal for her.  
Dashing tears from her eyes she waited till the song was done before handing Balin the folded parchment with a nod "You can sleep here tonight; there are three rooms down this hall that you can share."  
They all froze staring at her with wide eyes until Thorin cleared his throat breaking the spell "My thanks Miss Baggins. We'll sleep out here if that's alright?"  
Briar felt her temper rising "Why would you want to sleep on the floor of my sitting room? Are my guest rooms not good enough for you, your Majesty?"  
A choking noise came from one of the princes but she kept her eyes trained Thorin as emotions chased each other across his face before he settled on slightly ashamed. 

His deep voice rumbled across the room "I believe there has been a misunderstanding. I thought you were giving up your room."  
"Ha! Like I would give up my last chance to sleep in a real bed for someone that insulted me before knowing me." she stated bluntly, pleased when a pink blush colored his cheeks.  
The pink color deepened as the others laughed and Thorin bowed his head in defeat "Very well” he nodded “Thank you. Everyone pick a room."  
Dwalin headed to the door "I shall be sleeping in the garden." he threw over his shoulder.  
"Why would he want to sleep out there?" she asked Balin bewildered when the white haired dwarf laughed.  
"He wants to keep watch but did not want to offend you."  
She shook her head with a smirk "He could just say so! We do have Bounders that protect our borders."  
"Dwalin just likes to be mysterious and difficult; Been that way since he was a lad." Balin told her with a wink.   
"I heard that!" Dwalin boomed from outside the parlor window.  
  


Once everyone was settled into their rooms she found Nori in a dark corner of the sitting room looking almost like he was pouting!  
"What is wrong with you?" she asked placing hands on her hips as she looked up at him.  
There was nothing rakish about the smile he gave her this time as he shrugged and it was all she could do to just roll her eyes at him before taking the star haired dwarf by the hand. They slipped around the furniture and she pulled him silently down the hall to her room with Dori none the wiser.

Her heart was racing and her thighs felt slick with her arousal as they stood outside her door; despite having had dalliances in the past she had never been so brazen nor taken anyone to her bedroom before.

_I quite like this new feeling._

_New Briar is brave and knows what she wants._

_I feel so empowered!_   
  


A shiver went up her spine as Nori's hot breath moved the curls by her ear "Which room are my brothers in?"  
She turned to press her back against the door and licked a line up his neck "The far one on the opposite side."  
"Perfect" he whispered opening the door and pushing her into the dimly lit room and kicking the door shut behind them.  
Briar wouldn't figure it out till many trysts later how he stripped her so quickly and efficiently but before she could blink he had her nude before him.  
"Yavanna be praised" he murmured before coming up behind her to cup her supple breasts and kissing his way down her neck.  
"Oh my" she moaned as one hand stayed rolling her pebbled nipple between two calloused fingers and the other hand caressed down her side to grip her hip. Those clever fingers pressed and teased at all the right places until her legs were shaking; she pressed back surprised to feel buckles and cotton cloth, he was still clothed!

"No fair" she whined wriggling her backside against the bulge in his pants "You still have all your clothes on."  
"So impatient" he hummed as he pushed her forward to lean on her mattress bent at the waist; she tried to catch his eye as she looked over her shoulder but he only smiled before kneeling. His hands never left her body as they caressed and fondled her flesh until she was almost mewling in anticipation.  
She tried to hold still but felt her skin twitching like horse flesh as a hand traced the crevice of her backside before slipping into her slick folds up to the knuckle, a curl of the clever appendage had her biting the quilt in front of her to keep her squeal contained.  
It was beginning to feel like torture as he continued the motion only to add his wicked tongue tracing her slit from her clit to his finger and back again.  
"By all things growing will you fuck me already." she sobbed as he slid another finger inside her.

His dark chuckle filled her room and she sagged as he withdrew his hand; the sound of something hitting the floor made her ears twitch and soon she felt something much hotter and wider than his fingers pressing into her hungry flesh.

"Is this what you wanted **luszel** " he growled as he sank in to the hilt, one hand gripping the post of her bed and the other gripping her hip.

She couldn't recall another time she had felt so deliciously full and as much as she wanted to answer him the words were not there. This was a new position for her and she was thanking Yavanna that she did not question what he was up to when he had picked it.  
There was no build up this time the minute he pulled his length out only to drive it back in she began to howl legs shaking; by the third pump she was coming and he did not stop pounding her. When her legs would no longer support her his hands slipped under her hips bones lifting her to tiptoes and he continued the pace. It seemed futile to try and muffle the sounds he was dragging from her and they howled together as he finally came with her fourth orgasm.

Dawn found the pair curled together in her bed talking softly, Nori finally nude. She had forcefully stripped him before their third round and he had taken his hair down when they washed the sweat from each other which led to the fourth coupling there in the bathtub. He was fascinated by her hair running his fingers through the curls and watching them spring back after pulling one taut. She could not stop touching him, tracing scars as he told her the tales of how he'd gotten them, she was intrigued by the few tattoos he possessed and pouted when he would not tell her what they said.  
The dwarf nearing purred when she carded her fingers through his soft red hair and she laughed when he became a little miffed when she compared him to a great ginger tom cat. A smile soon replaced his grumpy face as she peppered him with kisses and cuddles.  
"This has been lovely" she yawned stretching in his embrace "Thank you." 

"I should be thanking you, lass" he grinned cheekily down at her pulling her tight to his chest "It's been a long time since someone has ridden me like that."

Briar blushed all the way to the tips of her ears and gave him a peck on the cheek before wiggling out from under him and off the bed.

She hummed as she opened her armoire pulling out clothes for the day and then grabbing her pack from the bottom drawer as well. As she bent over to put on her panties there was pained sound from behind her before warm hands were holding her hips and an impatient cock was pressed against her arse.

"Can I help you, Master Nori?" she asked coyly fluttering her lashes at him over her shoulder.

"Briar-" whatever he was going to say was lost as she rolled her hips so that she was stroking his cock with her cheeks. A thrill of satisfaction made her shiver as his fingers convulsed and she heard his breath come out in a ragged gasp. Arching as high as she could on her toes she giggled as he cursed under his breath as she slid him into her pussy. The power she felt as she rocked back and forth was enough to make her moan wantonly, the sound of their flesh slapping together filled the room and she felt the familiar ache began to build in her belly.  
"Oh Nori I'm going to-, I'm going to... "  
He must have caught the message as he gripped her hard enough she knew there would be bruises and slammed his length into her.  
"Sweet hell Briar. **Take it for me flower** , take it all. Take my cock. **Cum for me."**  
She knew he was getting close when he lapsed into Khuzdul and his rhythm pushed words from her almost pray like "Oh please, oh please, Nori please, I need, OH!"  
Hot seed flooded her and she found herself screaming as she came legs shaking, pulse in her ears as she let her head loll.

The door crashed open and Ori rushed in sling shot ready "BRIAR! NADAD WHAT- **MAHAL'S BALLS**!" and he exited just as quickly quietly shutting the door behind him.

  
Briar finished dressing once her legs worked and exited her room with the air of someone that had not been caught being plowed from behind. It seemed most of the dwarves were taking advantage of a bit of a lie-in and she couldn't spot Ori anywhere.

 

The little Hobbit was nowhere to be found when Nori slipped from her room and ghosted through her home, hands re-braiding his beard as he sought out Ori. He found the scribe tucked in a corner of what looked like a library with his tongue poking out the corner of his mouth and the only sound in the room the scratch of his quill on paper.   
He claimed a chair facing his younger brother and waited. It always took Ori a moment to realize he wasn't alone anymore; Nori would have said something but he'd never hear the end of it if he startled Ori causing him to mess up whatever he was doing.

It was a cozy room with framed maps on the wall and book shelves occupying most of the wall space, all of them fairly groaning with the weight of the tomes they held. He cleared his throat again and Ori looked up eyes out of focus for a second before he blazed bright red refusing to look Nori in the eye.

"I'm sorry you walked in on that **Mizimith."**

Ori scowled at him "I'm not that young! I'm older than the Princes, Nori. And I'm sorry if I ruined whatever it was you were doing with Miss Baggins. I was worried for her with those noises." he shifted uncomfortably as his ears pinked.

Nori studied his little brother as the pink color spread to his cheeks and he began to take great interest in the stitching of his cardigan.

"Are you a virgin?"

The pink bloomed to red and it sounded like Ori was trying to go through all the vowel sounds he knew; things only got more awkward when a jovial voice barked from the door "A virgin! Who in here is a virgin?"

Ori was giving off the distinct impression that he was torn between trying to burrow out of there like a mole or setting Bofur's floppy hat on fire when the smiling dwarf plopped down beside Nori in the other chair. He opened his mouth to tell his best friend that he'd been caught with his pants down with their Burglar but found himself instead telling Bofur that they were discussing a character in a book Ori was writing.  
Ori's eyebrow quirked in question while he visibly relaxed  and ran with the idea outlining a story of a young barely battle aged Dwarf rescuing a princess from a Dragon's Keep and the following courtship.

_Why not tell Bofur about my romps with Briar?_

_  
It's not like it matters, its only physical._

 

Hugo Boffin was a kind and gentle hobbit that loved his wife's eccentric family immensely but in the moments following the bold statement of an adventure from the only one of Donnamira's niece he had thought sane you could have knocked him over with a feather.  
Briar sat across from him pretty as a picture in her white skirt and blouse, the only color accent being the corset that cinched her waist, the delicate pink of wild roses and he chose to ignore what looked like a hickey in full bloom on the back of her neck; it peeked through the cinnamon curls and he shook his head wondering who was the lucky lad that had finally caught Briar's attention. She had been lonely for far too long he thought. Donnamira had been ready to bring the lass home with them when her sister passed into the Garden but Briar refused stating that she had things to run and Drogo to train.   
They had all thought and hoped she'd find a nice Hobbit to settle down with. If he was honest he'd had his money on Andwise while his in-laws were all betting on other eligible bachelors; Donnamira had called them all fools stating she knew Briar was not ready to settle down and start popping out faunts yet. Her niece might have a bit of fun but she wasn't tying the knot yet.   
 _It's obvious she's been canoodling with someone behind the hedge but who?_

_Damn this means I owe her money again! So do most of her brothers as well._

"I want it written up that Bag End is to go to Drogo and he's to take over all the tenants as well. The only thing I want is it to be written that I can come back whenever I please and I'll have a place to stay along with an allowance for the duration." Briar's calm voice jerked him from his speculation and he blushed guiltily as he pulled out a quill.  
"That's very generous Briar. Are you sure you want to give both Bag End and the family business to Drogo permanently?" he looked up at her and froze. In that instance she looked so very much like his wife and Belladonna that he had to resist the urge to apologize as she scowled.  
"Yes Uncle Hugo I am sure. I do not know how long I'll be gone nor what waits for me at the end of this quest. I want to know that my home and business are safe from greedy hands that would see it all in ruins. With Drogo I know they will and that I'll have a home to return to."

He nodded in agreement "Young Drogo is a fine lad and I know you're right that he'll take good care of your home. Has he met all the tenants?"

She nodded smiling "They all get along great. He learned everything Mum had to teach him and I've passed on my knowledge as well as my ledger of notes."

"Good, good" he murmured quill flying "is there anything else you want me to add?"

Briar looked deep in thought as she tapped her chin while starring over his shoulder "hmmmm yes I suppose that would do?"

Hugo quirked a brown brow at her "What would do, my dear?"

A coy smile lit her face and made her eyes sparkle with Tookish glee "I want it added that if any of the Sackville- Bagginses challenge this that they will not receive the inheritance that they have coming should I be declared dead."

He stopped mid stroke quill in the air and leveled curious brown eyes at his favorite sister-in-law's daughter "You are actually leaving them something?"

With fluttering black lashes she answered him "Why of course! Uncle Longo was my father's oldest brother after all. It's not much really, more than Camelia and Lobelia deserve," she pressed finger tips to her lips "I'm leaving them Mother's silverware and all the buttons I have stolen from their coats over the years."

Briar could still hear Uncle Hugo rolling with laughter as she dashed up the lane towards home, his promise to bring the finished document by at lunch time repeating in her ears. So caught in her own thoughts and plans she almost didn't hear Camelia's shrill voice before it was too late.   
Thanking Yavanna that old lady Bolger wasn't out she jumped over the fence and hid behind the prize winning tulips and crocuses; she peered between the brightly colored blooms as her aunt passed pulling poor Andwise along with her the whole time going on about what a good match he'll be for 'her Briar'.

_What nonsense is this?_

_I'm not her anything!_

  
"I've told you before Mrs. Baggins, Briar and I are just friends. We're not interested in each other like that." Andwise's low voice reached her ears and she hated how beaten he sounded.

Camelia's voice took a sharp edge as it dropped an octave "And I told you that you will get her to marry you or in a compromising position or _I'm_ telling your father what I caught you doing behind the haystacks with Rorimac Brandybuck."

Briar froze as her Aunt's words registered fully, a cold fury filled her belly. 

_I'll show her! Trying to blackmail poor sweet Andwise like that!_

Soon that dreadful voice drifted away and Briar darted between the smials of her neighbors making quick time to her door and slamming the door just as she heard that harpy start up Bag Shot Row.   
"Whatever is the matter Mistress Boggins?" Kili asked where he leaned against the kitchen door frame looking as though he had just rolled from bed, shirt laces undone and gaping to mid sternum, wearing only thin cotton breeches and barefoot to boot. His hair was unbraided and mussed; Fili popped his head out the kitchen door at the racket and she spied that he was in about the same state of undress. She looked around for Nori or Thorin and saw neither; she was hesitant to bring these two into her plan but Camelia's wretched voice was getting louder and she could hear Andwise still trying to convince her Aunt that this was pointless. 

"I-I need your help if you two don't mind being eye candy for a moment." she gave them a slow smile and they both perked up in interest.   
The pair stopped in front of her and bowed in unison "At your service!"  
She clapped her hands laughing "Alright lads here is the plan."

 

Whatever Camelia Baggins had been prepared for from her niece this was not one of the scenarios that had played through her greedy mind. Briar had swung the round door open after barely the second knock smiling happily and for once that smile only grew at the sight of her and Andwise standing on the stoop. She should have realized things were about to explode spectacularly in her face but Camelia instead decided to ignore her gut and push on.

"Good morning, Aunt Camelia" Briar nodded at her and then winked at the gawping Andwise "And you Andwise."

Andwise looked a bit like he couldn't breathe as he starred at her niece and for a moment she thought he was just putting on an act considering how passionate he was about Rorimac. But then her beady eyes really studied her beaming relation and she felt her face begin to grow hot.  
Briar's normally tidy curls were slightly mussed, her blouse was askew, her lips were slightly puffy and it was very obvious that Briar had been 'busy.'  
A deep voice came inside Bag End that made both Hobbits on the step crane their neck to see the owner still behind the pretty green door.   
"Briar, Love who's at the door?"

The green door swung back and revealed a DWARF! He was swarthy and handsome and barefoot! Andwise looked like he was about to have a case of the vapor as he drank in the sight of the other male.

"Oh Hello." the dwarf gave a small bow to them before wrapping an arm around Briar's waist "Will you introduce me, sweetling?"

Briar blushed prettily and giggled before pointing them out "This is my Aunt Camelia Baggins from my father's side and this is Andwise Bolger, a very good friend."

The dwarf gave them a dashing smile and held out a hand "Pleasure to meet family of this lovely being. I'm Kili, son of Vili."

Camelia wanted to say something, anything and instead found herself shaking the charming fellow's hand.

"Kili? Briar? Where did you two go?" a new voice called down the hall and Briar's blush deepened.  
"Out here **Nadad** " Kili called over his shoulder into the smial.

A blond dwarf popped up on Briar's other side smiling good naturedly "Oh Hello! I'm Fili, son of Vili."   
 Camelia was almost jealous of her niece in that moment before proper Baggins behavior roared forth. A look in Andwise direction proved that he would be no help as he looked to be undressing the pair, perhaps the trio with his eyes.

"Briar what is the meaning of this? Who are these- these dwarves and what are they doing hanging on you so?" she demanded tapping her umbrella on the ground to punctuate it.

First the blond spoke "Did we not introduce ourselves?"

The brunette shook his head "No I know we introduced ourselves. Perhaps she didn't understand dwarven names?"

Briar tried to interrupt blushing a deeper pink as Kili tucked some of her curls behind a pointed ear "Oh now I-"

The blond- Fee-something "Maybe it's not clear what we've been doing with Briar?" he asked before kissing Briar above the tip of her ear.

Kili smiled laschiviously and winked at them "Oh I think they know exactly what we have been up to with this darling flower. I think it might not be what this fine Hobbit lady was wanting however." 

Part of her had the urge to preen being called a fine lady but she chose to ignore it and follow through with her indignity. 

"Briar Alyssum Baggins do you really think this how your parents would want you behaving? Like a woman of loose morals cavorting in the home your father built with DWARVES? I-I_I"

Briar's sharp voice cut off her tirade and gone was the warm smile that had graced her young face "You'd what? Have me compromised so that I would have to give Bag End to you? To Lobelia and that disgusting Lotho that she married? You'd blackmail poor Andwise into marrying me or worse? Sweet Yavanna does your greed know no boundaries?"  
  


Nori had hidden in the shadows to watch as Briar paraded Kili before her Aunt and a Hobbit fellow named Andwise. A new feeling had begun to burn in his belly when Kili touched her, it grew when Fili joined the fray, the pair acting as though it was them that left her with whisker burns and love marks.

He had begun counting little dust catchers on the shelf beside him and then moved on to cleaning his pipe meticulously, making sure there was no ash clinging to the stem or the face that adorned the bowl. Bofur had carved it for him as a birthday present, a wizard with the bowl in the top of his head and smoke curled from the mouth for a vent, it was his favorite pipe.

He looked up at Fili kissed Briar above the ear and saw red; a sharp crack came from his hands and he was even more upset to find he'd cracked the stem.

"What's going on out there?" Bofur sat down next to him to watch Briar begin to tear her Aunt to ribbons.

"Dunno." he grunted before handing his pipe to the toy maker "Can you fix this?"

"How in Durin's name did ya do that? I carved that from horn beam!" Bofur exclaimed turning it over in his hands "I can fix it but it'll take some time."

"Good." Nori stood not wanting to watch the princes hang all over Briar any longer "I'm going to go pack."

 

Briar watched her Aunt storm down the lane and silently thanked Yavanna that she would be long gone before Camelia had a chance to come back with more of the Baggins Clan to talk her out of leaving. Andwise had thanked her profusely and with one last lingering glance at her sandwiched between Kili and Fili he had strolled up the lane no doubt in search of Rorimac. As one they had stepped into the house and softly shut the door behind them before bursting in peels of laughter.   
Kili had collapsed onto the hope chest holding his ribs while Fili kept himself upright with a hand on the wall, Briar sank to the floor as the laughter poured from her.  
"Boys," a deep voice cut through the mirth like a sword and they all turned to see a mostly dressed Thorin framed in the doorway "Go pack. We leave soon."   
The princes gathered themselves and slipped past the Uncle with a nod.   
"Ms. Baggins" she looked up at Thorin.   
"Yes?"   
"Please do not use my nephews like that again. They are Princes of Erebor and my Heirs, not eye candy to be toyed with on a whim whenever you please."   
"It won't happen again" she stated flatly. 

 

Nori had vanished and the rest of the Company was very subdued as she finished packing and then fixed a light lunch using up what little was left in her pantries. Uncle Hugo has shown up right on time with the Will and she had signed it with flourish and then had Balin witness it for her. Nori was in the garden with his brothers when the rest of them exited Bag End for the last time and she locked the round green door before handing the key to her Uncle along with letters to her Aunts and Uncles.   
He stayed waving in the garden until she rounded the bend and headed towards Bree.   
Tears burned her eyes and made her throat feel tight as she realized this could be the last time she would ever see her home or Hobbiton ever again. Suddenly everything seemed so important and she had the longing of wishing she had said good bye to more people before following the dwarves down Bag Shot Row.   
"Are you alright, Miss Baggins?" Ori startled her and she ran a hand across her face trying to erase the tears that had escaped.   
"I'm fine, Master Ori. Just realizing this might be the last time I ever see my home."   
Ori nodded his head in understanding and lightly patted her on the shoulder as they followed everyone towards the Prancing Pony. 

  
  
"I'll just walk, thank you though." she stated tapping a large foot as if to prove her point.   
Dwalin looked uncomfortable as Thorin glared at her "Get. On. The. Pony." he bit out from where he sat on his own brown mount.   
"I. do. not. ride." she bit back returning his glare with slitted eyes.   
Behind her Fili and Kili shook their heads before seizing her under the arms and placing her on the back of the sandy red pony that had been picked for her.   
"What the bleeding fuck are you doing?" she shrilled as she clung to the saddle horn with both hands. 

  
  


__  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confusing feelings and blue balling ensues!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I adore all the kudos and lovely comments. Thank you!  
> I am finding my motivation to write more AND I think I've fixed my interwebs issue!

Briar’s arse was sore and her thighs burned from the strain of straddling the pony, she was miffed that she wasn’t sore thanks to some other activity with a certain red haired dwarf but HE was currently avoiding her and had been for a couple days now. Their brief stop in Bree had been interesting and she had hoped to enjoy having sex in a real bed for the last time in who knows how long but Nori had gotten sloppy drunk with Bofur instead. When she realized that a dalliance was not going to happen that night she had downed her beer in one go, slammed the mug on the table hard enough to make Ori jump and had stomped unladylike to her room where she locked the door before pouting herself asleep.

The next morning Thorin expected everyone to be ready to go right after breakfast but that idea was shot when they not only had to locate Bofur and Nori but also Gandalf! The latter of the group had actually gone to purchase a few supplies, the former were found sleeping in the hay by the ponies. Ori had whispered to her that Dori had also denied Nori entrance to their room and Bombur had refused to let Bofur into their for fear of the miner’s loud revelry provoking a nightmare in poor Bifur who suffered from Battle Dreams if he became stressed.

Gloin and the Princes had enjoyed waking the pair with a pail full of icy well water and Briar had to hide behind her pony to keep them from seeing her shake with mirth.

 

Nori was feeling wretched and what was worse was that he knew along with everyone else that it was his own doings… well his and Bofur’s. They had meant to just have a bit of fun in the Prancing Pony with a bit of ale and some drinking songs but then he had gotten caught up in the atmosphere.  
The Men of Bree certainly know how to have a good time and don’t mind dwarves in their midst.  
His own plans had involved getting Briar out on the dance square and then whisking her up to the room appointed her to drive out any thoughts of those youngling princes touching her. For some reason he could not figure out he could never get his feet to move him towards Briar nor could he unstick his tongue to finally break his silence with the little lass. Not even when Bofur had popped up with some whiskey he’d won could Nori break the tie on his tongue. Briar had caught his eye a few times across the table and there had been a twinkle in them that made his pants tight, his mouth dry but closing the distance between them his feet might as well have been nailed to the floor. Slowly that twinkle had dimmed and her smile had faded when she looked at him; Ori had almost dropped his mug of beer when she slammed her empty cup down and stomped away.

“Well I’ve done it now! Might as well keep drinking!” he had laughed elbowing Ori who slipped off his stool with a shake of his head.  
“Good night, **Nadad**. Things will be clearer in the morning.” Was all his little brother had uttered as he slipped from the bar room.

 

 _Things will be clearer in the morning_ … about as clear as mud he thought as he tried to squeeze more water from his eyebrow braids.

Nothing was clear with this hangover, his tongue tasted like he had been licking the tavern floor, his head pounded like the riders of Rohan were in his skull, and Briar wouldn’t even look at him. She just rode in front of him shapely ankles flashing occasionally, her skirt pulled taut over the curves of her buttocks and the way her hips moved made him think of that time in her bathtub with warm water lapping their bodies and sloshing over the edge of the tub unnoticed.

“Uggggh” he groaned pressing the heel of his hand into his eye to try and clear that memory before it became an obvious issue.  
“Something that matter” Ori asked sweetly from his usually silent spot beside him.  
A glance at his knit wear covered brother showed what should have been a convincing innocent face but Nori knew better.  
“Not at all” he replied squinting in the bright sunlight “What makes you think something is wrong?”  
Ori shook his head with a wry smirk “Oh what about the fact you’ve already made Thorin angry and we haven’t even been gone from Ered Luin for a full month?”

“Thorin is uptight anyway. It was bound to happen.”  
Ori snorted “What about your monster hangover and the fact you spent the night in a horse stall because you pissed everyone off?”  
Nori made a show of checking his hair points before answering “Not the first time nor will it be the last I sleep with the horses. I piss Dori off almost every other day, you know that.”  
Ori held up a finger, triumph glinting in his hazel eyes “AH but this is the first time you’ve upset Briar.”  
Nori flinched and looked down at his saddle horn rubbing at an imaginary scuff.  
“Y **ou chose to spend the night with horses and Bofur instead of in a real bed with her. How did you think she'd feel about that?** ” Ori pointed out Khuzdul.    
**“So what**?” he asked defensively hunching his shoulders “ **it’s not like we’re a pairing. I can sleep wherever I want**. She- she-”  
The look Ori gave him was so reminiscent of the mother Ori had never met that it froze Nori just like when he was a little lad.  
“Nori, son of Khori you cannot dismiss her like that! You need to talk to her.”  
He would be ashamed to admit later that his voice took a whine like when he was a tween “Whhhy? She’s not my One. Why can’t I just let it alone? And since when did you become so intelligent about relationships?”  
"I read Dori's romance novels."

Briar had thought when Thorin called a halt for the evening she’d feel relief when she slid from the back of her pony she’d dubbed Daisy.  
“What fresh hell is this?” she squeaked as a whole new pain blossomed in muscles that she didn’t know she had.  
“Walking will help, my dear. Just go slowly.” Gandalf smiled down at her before heading off to speak with Thorin and Balin.  
“Easy for you to say, ya long legged git.” She grumbled under her breath as she pulled her pack from Daisy and took a step towards the camp.  
Before her the dwarves had set themselves up in little clusters around the fire and her heart hurt as she realized it was by family.

She had no family here.                               
Or any friends if she was honest; they hadn’t been around each other long enough to have become more than acquaintances.  
Unexpected tears burned the corners of her eyes as she spotted Gandalf’s sleeping bag off to the side and she made her way over there, spreading out her much smaller bed.  
There was fire wood to be gathered even though she was ready to drop from exhaustion and every step hurt. She had never been so grateful for the thin bit of cushion that was her bedroll until now as she sank onto it with a bowl of stew. Sleep claimed her before she had even finished half of it and only a wizard’s quick hand saved her from spilling stew in her bed.

 

Nori had meant to speak to her, honestly had but time skipped away from him and before he knew it she was asleep with Tharkun catching her half eaten bowl of stew from limp hands.  
“Did you need something Nori, son of Khori?” the grey wizard stared at him in the twilight, a peculiar glint in those wise eyes.  
He swallowed thickly “I was just going to see how she was doing?”  
A sparkle appeared in his blue eyes “I see, Master Nori. Perhaps you can try again tomorrow while we ride. She can’t avoid you on pony back.”

  
Briar couldn’t avoid him but she certainly didn’t make it easy either as she took to conversing with every bloody member of the Company while they rode.  
It took him two days to finally catch her alone as she dismounting at the end of the day.

“Briar, can I have a word with you?”

Her eyes were guarded while she looked up at him and he was preparing for her to tell him ‘no’ when she finally nodded “Alright.”  
Noise from the camp made it impossible to have a conversation as Dwalin started sparring with Thorin and the Princes began to wrestle.

“Here follow me.”

She was quiet that he wasn’t sure she was there until he looked back, she was hesitantly moving through the underbrush and he realized that she couldn’t see as well as he could.

“Take my hand.”

The touch of her soft hand in his calloused one zinged through him like a shock from wool in the winter and he tightened his hold on her. Once the sounds were mostly muted he stopped in a small clearing and pulled her to him.  
“Nori” she whispered in the twilight gazing up at him.  
“Briar” his voice was husky with he wasn’t sure what emotion “I’m sorry.”  
She shook her curly head “No I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have involved Kili and Fili like that.”    
“It’s alright. I shouldn’t have shut you out like I did.”  
The last was a murmur before their lips touched; the spark was gone and in its place was a flame to oil. He had meant it to be a sweet, chaste kiss and instead he found himself devouring her mouth as she twined her arms around his neck and pressing her sweet body against his. The little sighs and moans were music to his ears as he trailed kisses from her sweet lips down her throat.  
“I’ve missed you” she whispered breathlessly as she brushed her fingers against his beard.  
Dusk filtered through the trees around them unheeded as they traded kisses and caresses like they were starving.

“Miss Boggins, Miss Boggins!”  
“It’s Baggins, you idiot!”  
“Oh right! Briar… Nori… where are you lot? Dinner is ready!” Kili’s voice shattered their sanctuary and they pulled apart as the brothers crashed into the area.

Dinner was quiet with the rest of the Company smirking as Briar went to Gandalf and Nori stood for a moment torn between her and his brothers. Dori made the decision for him as he ushered him into their cluster with a bowl of food.

  
Howls rent the air and Briar felt panic seize her as she looked towards the trees for the glow of eyes amongst the ferns.  
“Is-is that wolves? Are there wolves out here?” she asked shakily setting her food down, nerves making her stomach clench painfully.  
Kili popped up followed by Fili with devilish grins on their faces “Wolves? No that’s not wolves Miss Baggins; those were Wargs. Much worse than wolves they are since they usually have Orcs with them.”  
Briar tried to still her shaking and resisted the urge to hunch over “Orcs with something worse that wolves? Lovely.”  
“Oh yes Miss Baggins they like to attack in the night, slit your throat while ya sleep or just tie you up and drag you off to be their slave.” Fili nodded in agreement with his brother neither noticing the color leaving the hobbit's face.  
“ **SHAZARA!** What do you know of Orcs and their tactics?” Thorin stormed past his nephews grabbing them by the ears as he went and marching them past the firelight.

Flashes of the massive wolves the besieged the Shire during the Fell Winter raced through her mind along with the glimpses of Orcs she had seen as she raced to The Great Smials with her parents. She could almost feel the frigid winter winds cutting through her clothing and the snow clinging to her eyelashes as she sat there. Suddenly warmth bloomed on her side and encompassed her chasing away the waking nightmare.  
When she could open her eyes Nori was sitting beside her with his red cloak wrapped around them, his arm around her back and his other hand holding her clutched together ones. There were questions in his sage green eyes but she wasn't ready to share these memories and shook her head. He only nodded and squeezed her closer to his side.  
“Thank you.” She whispered as Balin began his tale of Thorin in the Battle of Moria and how he knew they had found their king. It was riveting and she looked on the raven haired dwarf with a new respect. Sleep claimed her as she leaned against Nori’s shoulder listening to the tale with the fire popping in the background.

  
  
The following week of travel was uneventful and for that Briar was thankful, however she soon discovered that it was close to impossible to get any alone time either. Whenever she tried to sneak Nori off somewhere someone would inevitably come looking for them or just happen upon them while searching for firewood, foraging for edible plants and in the case of two Princes Briar thought it might just be them being nosy.   
They had decided early on to keep their trysts a secret from everyone save Ori since he had walked in on them in Bag End. Neither figured Thorin would be very happy to learn that the Hobbit was already bedding one of his company after a meer week and a half.   
They had attempted to start something while they were supposed to be looking for animal tracks; they had made it as far as Briar having her hand down Nori's breeches cock in her hand when Kili came bounding past. Another time when they were supposed to be finding a spring that was marked on Balin's map Nori had managed to finger fuck her to a shattering orgasm but when she was beginning to lick the head of his cock Bofur had shouted to that he had found it and where in the blazes were they.  There was a short window of them considering putting their bed rolls near each other but Ori had stopped that one reminding them that Dori would have a fit. Briar had almost screamed in frustration until she realized it was Dwalin of all people that came looking for them to take the first watch. Nori had her pinned against a sturdy oak and just slipping his cock into her aching pussy when a deep voice called from the gloom “Burglar! Thief it’s your turn for watch.”   
If it had been anyone other than the big Guard Briar was pretty sure she would have shrieked at him to just ‘fuck right off’ but the bald dwarf still made her a little uneasy and Nori shook his head as though he could read her thoughts as he slipped from her body.

They had been interrupted so many times Nori was pretty sure his bollocks resembled sapphires in hue. A slight breeze was enough to make him hard and his balls ached in time with his heart beat. It felt as if the little things he saw Briar doing were geared to tease him even though his rational mind kept whispering that she wasn’t riding her pony like that to arouse him and there was no way she could know that the sounds she made while eating dinner was doing something for him.  
Nori seriously thought it might have been a blessing from Ulmo when the skies opened up as they rode.

Briar had kept catching him staring at her to which she responded with a saucy wink and giggle. He was pretty sure that when they had stopped for lunch she had made sure to be in his view whenever she bent over or adjusted her trouser legs flashing shapely calves. To keep his mind out of her trousers he had begun trying to teach Ori all the different sort of knots he knew but his younger brother just laughed in his face and showed him a knot he’d never seen before!  
“You should show your knots to Miss Baggins” Ori jerked his head in the little female’s direction as he wrote.  
“She probably knows them already.”  
Ori looked up him, ink splattered on the end of his nose “How could she possible know half of these when they are either dwarfish or YOU created them?”  
Nori felt his cheeks heat up “I- well she- ya know what just never mind!” he growled stomping over to Bofur and Bifur.  
Ori had just watched him go with a small smile and shake of his head before he went back to his writing.

  
The rain had been slightly warm when it began but it helped take his mind off of the buxom little hobbit.

For all of about 10 minutes.

Briar had ridden up beside him and Bofur, honeyed curls darkened to gold with the downpour, a smile that reached her green eyes splitting her face for the first time since Bag End.   
“Isn’t this lovely?” she chirped “I do love a good soaking rain.”  
She threw her head back with her eyes closed and Nori drank in the way the water slid down her throat and suddenly found his mouth very dry as he realized her white blouse was nearly see through. Her corset barely covered her nipples and did nothing to hide the rosy hue of her areolas peeking through the wet cotton; the material was fairly plastered to her skin, moving with every breath. The desire to drag her onto his pony and fuck her right there in the saddle was so strong he thought steam would begin rising from his hair. Her gaze met his and a blush began at the swell of her breasts; it crept up her throat until it stained her cheeks a fetching pink.  
A word from Ori broke the spell and she gave him a small smile before spurring her mount ahead to ride beside his brother. He sent the darkest look he could at his youngest sibling and Ori actually had the nerve to laugh before speaking to Briar.  
“What in **Mahal’s** name was that?” 

Bofur’s eyes were wide and Nori found himself scrambling for an answer before Bofur assumed they fucking.  
“Um it’s nothing. I don’t know what you’re talking about?” he answered lamely.   
A heavy hand smacked him on the back as Bofur let out a bark of laughter “And I’m Durin reborn! If I didn’t know better I would think you were getting quite the crush on our little burglar.”  
His laugh sounded a little hollow as he dismissed Bofur’s observation “Please, Bof. I do not get crushes. You know me, love em and leave em. That’s my game and you know it.”  
The laughing miner quieted and he stared at his friend for a long moment. Nori almost wanted to twitch under the weight of his gaze and instead trained his eyes ahead only for them to land on the topic of conversation.  
Briar rode ahead of them a few pony lengths and whatever she and Ori were discussing hadn’t banished the blush from her cheeks. She had managed to pile all that wet hair up in what looked like a haphazard bun that her hood was doing its best to collapse. Ori look just as animated and was using one hand to punctuate that conversation. Rain still drizzled down but it did nothing to pale the glow coming from her.  
“I don’t know, Nori. You are certainly looking at her like a dwarf that has found his match.” Bofur’s voice broke the spell and Nori jerked his eyes from them before they caught him staring.  
A forced smile curled his lips “Honestly Bofur I don’t know where you get these ideas.”

  
The chance to be together never came as the rain increased in tempo but decreased in temperature. Soon enough Nori was too cold and miserable to care about his balls hurting or the way Briar rode in front of him.   
Thorin must have been feeling the same way when he called an early halt near a rocky out crop that looked like the driest ground they had seen in 3 days.    
Dori had fussed over him and Ori, picking the driest spot of their bags and shoving cups of hot coffee into their hands before they could even sit down. The Company all fractured off into their family units; none of them noticed at first that Briar was sitting off by herself shivering and looking woefully small against the back drop of wet forest. She had placed her soggy sleeping bag near where Gandalf was leaning against an elm with his hat covering his eyes at the edge of camp.   
Kili and Fili were whispering loudly with their Uncle and Dwalin, Nori noted that Kili was being serious for the first time he’d ever seen and it made the young prince look much older in the fire light.  
 **“Fine; do what you want!”** Thorin growled in khuzdul throwing up his hands in irritation to which Kili and Fili beamed. Dwalin thumped the king on the back while he looked to be struggling not to laugh.

Briar’s clear voice rang across the clearing “Kili what are you doing? KILI PUT ME DOWN!”  
Kili popped into view with Briar tossed over his shoulder and a laughing Fili following carrying the Burglar’s bed roll and pack. They dropped her things beside theirs and Kili gently plopped her onto his own dry bed while Fili draped her damp one over the large boulder that was closest to fire without risk of singeing it. There was a rushed, hushed argument that ended with Briar bursting into tears before grabbing both the lads into a hobbit sized bear hug. Nori saw red and spoke not another word to his brothers as he wrapped up in his blanket and turned his back to the happy group. Ori just patted his shoulder while muttering “You should have said something first Nadad.”

From that evening on Briar could be found sandwiched between the brothers from evening meal on till they took their turn keeping watch.

  


The Burglar seemed to relax more around everyone and not just Ori. The care of Kili and Fili seemed to help her open up. So it was no surprise when one evening Briar decided to start asking everyone how they knew each other and such   
_Can't make friends if you don't ask questions_ her mum's voice reminded her.   
Kili spoke first "Well ya know Fee and me are brothers."  
"Fili and I." Balin corrected with a grimace.   
Kili pinked in embarrassment "Right Fee and I are brothers, Thorin is our Uncle because our mum is his sister. Dwalin and Balin are our cousins!" he grinned at her.   
"Unfortunately he's right." rumbled Dwalin causing Kili shout "UNFORTUNATELY?!" while the rest of the camp laughed even Thorin chuckled.   
Bofur stepped forward the wings of his floppy hat bouncing "Right well I'm not related to anyone here aside from Bombur, my brother and Bifur, my cousin. I'm a miner, Bifur is too and Bombur is a cook. We came to be a part of this quest when Thorin put out the call for volunteers."   
"We're also cousins of the Durin but farther removed than Balin and Dwalin. I'm a banker and me brother here is a healer." Gloin jerked a thumb towards Oin who was crushing something with a mortar and pestle.   
Nori gave her a cocky grin "I came along to keep track of my brothers and to harass Dwalin. Ori roped us into this seeing as he is Balin's apprentice and we thought he was too young to be going off without us." he winked at his younger brother as he turned almost as red as Gloin's beard.   
"Too young! I'm older than those two!" Ori shouted indignant pointing at the laughing princes. 

Briar could see the argument brewing and decided to divert it “Is anyone married?”  
Gloin shook the log she was perched on as he dropped down beside her and a pulled a large locket out from under his armor.  
“This here is me lad Gimli and here’s my beautiful Nidhi.” He pointed to a portrait of a lad that looked younger than Kili and a female with an impressive beard that dripped with small chains and what looked like diamonds.  
“They are lovely.” She smiled at him and he puffed up grinning broadly.  
“Is anyone else married or engaged?” her eyes roved over the males before her briefly settling on Nori who just cocked an eyebrow at her before she landed on Bofur and blushing Bombur.  
“Oh aye my brother is married!” Bofur laughed slapping the cook on the back “AND he has six little ones with five of em being lasses!”  
Briar had no idea what happened as the other dwarves started shouting in their language and pounding the big cook on the back. Nori slipped up next to her making her squeak as he pinched her rump.  
“What is everyone so excited about?” she whispered watching Thorin even walk over to shake the red haired dwarf’s hand.  
“Girls are very rare for us. Only about one in five births result in a lass so we guard our women even more than our other secrets.” He whispered in her ear and for a brief second she forgot what they were talking about.  
“One in five? My goodness it’s nothing like that in the Shire.”  
Nori nodded “I noticed that there seemed to be more lasses running around than lads. It’s also impressive that Bombur has such a large brood. Most families are lucky to have two let alone six wee ones.”  
Her eyebrows almost touched her hairline as she processed what he said and Nori was amused to notice that her pointed ears seemed to perk up in interest.  
“Two is the norm? The norm back home is four to five faunts.”  
“FIVE is the norm!” cried Bofur almost dropping his hat in the stew pot. Briar hadn’t realized things had quieted down while she and Nori spoke. Her ears felt hot as she felt the rest of the Company stare at them.  
“Y-yes five is about average in the Shire. My grandparents set the record by having 13 faunts with my mother being the ninth.”  
Everyone froze staring at her before Dwalin spoke his deep voice rumbling through the clearing “Ninth of thirteen? **Mahal’s** balls but how many were lasses?” 

“She was the eldest of the three that lived to adulthood.”

That subdued the discussion and she felt bad mentioning little ones not surviving to grow up when she knew that resources and food were scarce in the Blue Mountains. That’s why they were on this quest in the first place was to find Thorin’s people a better home.  
She cleared her throat “So does anybody have any little ones besides Gloin and Bombur?”  
The group shook their heads.  
“Alright what about sweethearts then?”  
Bofur looked at the others and they all shrugged while Thorin nodded to whatever the silent question was “Lass we don’t have sweethearts or little ones until we meet our One. Occasionally we might marry to strengthen a contract but that’s more of a nobility thing. With so few females most of us will never marry or have children of our own.”  
That took the wind out of her sails and she felt guilty for asking her questions “Oh I’m so sorry.”  
Dwalin leaned forward till the firelight winked off of the ring and cuff on his ears “What are you sorry for?”  
“It just feels like I was asking insensitive questions and I didn’t mean to.” She held up her hands.   
Thorin spoke this time “You have no offended anyone nor said anything to apologize for Burglar.”   
She nodded throat feeling tight and suddenly felt the need to go for a walk “Alright if you say so.”

 

Nori watched the hobbit leave the ring of light before turning back to face the others.   
Bofur looked concerned “Did we say something wrong?”  
Ori looked just as confused as the rest which was honestly a first for the scribe. Nori shook his head “I think we just gave her a lot to think about. I’ll go check on her.”  
Thorin nodded “Good idea. Make sure she doesn’t get lost.”  
As Nori slipped into the darkness he could hear Kili ribbing Thorin “Uncle you’re the only one that could get lost 12 feet from camp!”

He found her sitting on a rock some ways from camp next to the little stream they had used for cooking water. At first he had thought she was just staring at the water slipping over the rocks but a small sniffle helped him realize she was crying!  
She must have heard him long before he sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulder “Hey now. What’s the matter?”  
Briar shook her head and a sheet of her curly hair slipped free from the bun to hide her face. A gentle hand under her chin lifted her tear streaked face to look at him. The faint moonlight lit the tear tracks on her cheeks silver and his heart gave a lurch to see her bright green eyes clouded with sadness. He kissed her cheek tasting the salt of her tears “Briar please tell me what is wrong.”  
She gave a hiccuping sigh “It’s just so sad that you have almost no hope of finding someone to share your lives with.”  
He had been expecting her to say something like ‘she was worried she had upset them’ or some such nonsense. He had been prepared for her to be upset that most of them would never have a family.  
“Truly, that is what has you so upset?” wonder colored his voice and she sniffled a little as she looked up at him.  
“Of course” she stated blinking away tears “Family is everything to a hobbit and the thought of you all never having that happiness is heart breaking.”  
The sincerity of her words melted his hardened heart and he found himself sealing his lips against hers in a tender kiss that left him dazed “You are a remarkable creature. We enjoy time with friends and most of us have some family left. I have my brothers so that counts for something. We can enjoy lovers but it’s not the same.”  
“You have me… for now.” She whispered carding small fingers through his beard.  
“I do?”  
Briar pulled his face back down to hers and she whispered against his lips “You do.”

The rock she had been sitting on was oblong and semi flat like a pedestal.  All Briar could think about was making Nori not feel alone for that moment in time.   
She took her time kissing him and slipping her hands under his vest, under his shirt to caress his skin; slowly she moved to where she was straddling his hips rather than sitting side by side. It cast his face in moon glow while hers was in shadow as she undid the belt holding his vest shut and ran her hands up to push the material to the side.   
He rose up on his elbows “Briar what are-“she silenced him with a deep kiss and pushed his vest down his shoulders to pool at the bends of his arms. Strong arms circled her waist as he freed them and began kissing her throat and what bit of skin was exposed of her chest.  
A small push had him reclining again looking up her, moonlight glinting off the beads and clasps in his beard and braids. Small, quick hands undid the ties at the neck of his tunic and deft larger ones had been busy with the laces of her corset tossing it to the side.  
His flesh was hot to the touch as she caressed his abs and pushed his tunic as far up as it would go. Large hands ghosted over her thighs as he tried to touch all of her that he could reach as she shimmied down to undo the front of his pants.  
“Briar are you su- hrrrng” his words were lost as she wrapped a hand around his length and pulled him into the cool night air.  
“Shhhhh” she hissed softly leaning over to lick the drop of precum from his tip, laving the head with her tongue until his hips were fairly vibrating under her. A small grin was on her lips as she rose up to kiss his lips and his hands seemed to flutter like hummingbirds from her arse to her thighs to her hair and back again. Stars glittered in his eyes as he gazed up at her and for a moment she was transfixed by them before she came back herself while rubbing his spit slicked cock with her hand.  
“Let me be enough for you tonight.” She whispered so softly she thought he might not have heard her. He surged up to crush her lips in a fiery kiss full of tongue as his hands slipped under her skirt to cup her cheeks.  
“Yes” he breathed against her throat and she gasped as she slid him past the edge of her panties to where she was soaked for him. She could feel the muscles in his thighs twitch under her own as she coated him in her wetness and rubbed him against her throbbing clit. Deciding the torment was enough for both of them she sank down onto him biting her lip to keep from crying out as he filled her, stretched her in an exquisite burn that bled more to pleasure than pain.  
“Oh **Mahal** Briar… I don’t know how long I’ll last” he groaned as he bowed his head to rest on her shoulder. She rolled her hips and felt herself already climbing; arms like steel wrapped around her and she switched to bouncing almost as if she was riding a pony and not Nori. Words she didn’t understand spilled from his lips as they traced a line from her collar bone to her ear lobe and she quickened her pace racing him to the finish line. His fingers dug into her hips, his breathing began to hitch and an idea sprang forth.   
She stopped the frantic pace she had set and began to roll her hips at a slow walk. A wheeze that sounded almost like pain slipped from his lips and she took the moment of distraction to push him onto his back again. The continued slow roll of her hips pushed her higher and she could tell it was testing Nori’s control as she pushed his hands up beside his head. The new angle of leaning forward had her panting faster than she expected but she continued the slow controlled strokes of her pussy.   
A low growl rolled from Nori and her pussy clenched at the knowledge that she was in control.   
“What do you want?” she moaned softly.  
Glazed eyes snapped open “You know what I want” he rumbled. She tweaked a nipple with her teeth through his tunic and his hips snapped upwards with a groan.  
“Tell me” she prodded her pussy quivering around him with the surge of power. Sweat beaded his brow and she felt the muscles in his forearms swell; she knew in that moment he could have taken what he wanted but he held himself back.  
He bared his teeth in a snarl “Argh I want you to make me cum!”  
Lightening shot through her veins and pooled low as she smiled in the shadow “As you wish.”  
Fast a flash she released his wrists and planted her hands on his shoulders since she was too short to reach the stone by his head and began to rock. The change in angle happened so fast Nori kept his hands where Briar had them before his eyes almost rolled back in his head as she rocked back and forth on his cock. Quickly he clutched her hips and she let him speed up the pace; his head rubbing against a spot inside her that had her gripping his tunic as she shook with the intense pleasure.  
“Norinorinorinorinori” she moaned biting her lips “Oh oh my I’m close. Sweet _Yavanna_ I’m so close.”  
Coherent thought left her as he slipped a hand between them while she rode him to rub rough fingers over her clit unraveling her in a shaking wet orgasm. He pushed to her to a new peak as he still rocked into her, his balls slapping wetly against her ass and before she knew it she was panting “I’m going- I’m gonna-“. She slapped a hand over her mouth as she cried out as she came again shivering violently and she felt Nori slam up into her a last time as she was filled with heat. 

Nori was sure that he had been struck dumb as he tried to recover his faculties after that orgasm. His legs felt weak, his arms not much better, and he almost thought he’d forgotten his own name. Briar was collapsed on top of him, sweaty curls glued to her cheek and her breathing still ragged. Considering he hadn’t thought he’d manage to make her cum once he was damn proud he’d brought her to climax twice. She shivered and he snagged his heavy vest where it had landed in the dirt. She tried to sit up and he found himself holding on to her, to keep her with him just a little while longer.  
“We should head back to camp before someone comes looking. I have no idea how long we’ve been gone.”  
He grimaced; he knew she was right but he just wanted to stay there with her "Just a moment longer."  
Briar slid from his lap and her legs looked as steady as a new born foal as she looked for her corset "I wish we could but what if Dori comes looking for you?"

“I think you’re gonna need to start wearing trousers.” He chuckled as he tucked everything back where it belonged.  
“What do you mean” she asked.  
“Your knees are skinned.” He pointed downwards where blood was beginning to weep from the scuffed flesh.  
A quick glance down had the hobbit rolling her eyes while mutter “well that’s just fantastic.”  
It didn’t take long to sort themselves out and begin heading back to camp when Briar paused.

“Where are my panties?”

 

The quest moved along from there and Briar soon figured out a way to sneak Nori away from the Company occasionally without anyone noticing or so she thought. Their alone time wasn’t reserved for just sex now but also talking. He showed her some of his knots and she showed him how to almost disappear in plain sight. He couldn’t quit master that one just yet but she kept trying to help him, he shared some of his pick-pocketing techniques and they soon began to try and outdo each other.  
The current winner was Briar as she managed to steal the hat from Gandalf’s head during dinner and it took the wizard an hour to notice.  
  
There was still a bit of shagging going on but Nori was discovering that Briar was also wickedly intelligent and had a biting sense of humor. When she wasn’t riding with the Princes she could often be found sandwiched between Nori and Ori with Dori riding somewhere around them usually tutting about Ori’s hair or Nori’s clothes; he soon began to try and mother Briar as well and she accepted it with a smile.

When the argument between Thorin and Gandalf had exploded Briar had snagged him by the hand to go exploring for mushrooms she claimed.

Dusk found them with him bending her over holding onto a tree trunk with her skirt around her waist. They found some mushrooms, and some fiddle heads which lead to him joking about getting head and her doing it. It all added up to them trying the modified position of him plowing her standing up from behind again. His balls were wet, her thighs were damp and he was about to bust when a loud crash shook the ground under them.   
Briar jumped upright and he came on his pant leg with a frustrated “UH!”  
Before he could do more than swipe at the mess on his trousers she was off sprinting through the undergrowth.   
“Briar, Briar” he shouted softly “get back here! You don’t know what is out here!”

  
Briar could hear the plants crying out that had been stomped and uprooted as she darted through the twilight wood. She headed in the direction of camp her heart racing and sending silent prayers to Yavanna that the Company was alright. There was crashing behind her that she knew was Nori and she could hear him softly shouting at her but she was on a mission. They reached the edge of camp where the ponies had been tied and she almost ran into a quietly arguing Kili and Fili before they noticed her.  
“Briar where did you come from” Kili asked looking behind them towards the camp.  
“We were out mushroom hunting.” She answered her apparently adopted brothers. The whole thing was still new to her but according to Ori it was a good thing and the pair were doing because they cared about her.  
Fili narrowed his eyes at Nori “What is on your pants?”  
Briar could feel her face heating up enough to boil water as Nori tried to cover the semen stain with his hand. The brothers were fixing the thief with an unkind look when she thought of a plausible answer “Mushroom spores!”

None of them looked like they believed her and they looked like they were about to pounce on Nori when he asked “Where are Myrtle and Minty?”

  
His palms were sweaty, his knees felt weak and he felt like he was going to throw up the mushrooms he’d shared with Briar. Instead of alerting Thorin to the missing ponies Briar and the lads had decided it was best to scout ahead. What they had found had stunned them all before Briar announced very softly that she could sneak across the Trolls camp and free the ponies without being spotted. Nori had bet on some very long odds but even he wasn’t comfortable with these. Fili and Kili had tried to persuade her to let them get Thorin but the little hobbit was adamant that she could do it. He could taste his pulse as they watched her creep across the camp and he almost cheered out loud when she made it to the pen holding them out the great louts noticing her.

Then he noticed the problem.

She had no way of cutting the ropes that were holding the gate shut. The ponies must have recognized her smell and began to get anxious, whinnying and pushing against walls.  
"You'd better get Uncle." Fili whispered in the gloom.

  
Briar tried to whisper in Green Speech to the ponies to calm them but either she was rustier at it than she thought or the ponies to panicked to understand what she was saying “Be calm. I’m trying to free you. Be calm.”

An unseen force snagged her by the back of her shirt and lifted her up until she was staring into the muddy eyes of one of the trolls.  
“Here now wat’s this then?” it questioned as it lifted her higher. The urge to tuck her skirt between her legs was strong but she decided to ignore it not wanting to alert the thing to fact she was female.  
  
 _That’s it! When this is done I’m turning some of my skirts into trousers! If I survive this anyways_ she thought bleakly as the troll called his brothers over to investigate what she was.

A blunt finger jabbed her in the rump and she swayed dangerously in the air.  
“Hey now that is unwanted physical contact, thank you very much!” she shouted trying to see which one had poked her.  
“It speaks!” the one holding her almost dropped her!  
“Of course I can speak! Good grief” she snapped trying to smooth her clothes despite still hanging there like a wayward kitten. One of the other trolls, the one with narrow mean looking eyes grabbed her by an arm and twisted; pain shot up it and she stifled a gasp as it grumbled “Well tell us what you are then.”  
Her arm felt weird after he let go and she resisted the urge to hold it against her chest “If you must know I’m a Burg-Hobbit!”  
The last troll to speak sounded much younger than the others when he asked “What a burrahobbit? Can we eat it or is it poison, Bert?”  
The one holding her gave her a sniff and she tried not to squeal “Smells alrigh’ but it wouldn’t make more than a mouthful for any of us and it looks a bit bony. What do ya tink, Tom?”  
Indignity burned through her veins banishing common sense for a moment as she objected “Bony! Why I never-“  
Whatever she was going to say was lost in a great crashing from the underbrush and she groaned out loud as Kili jumped from the bushes followed by everyone else.   
“OI DROP HER!” he shouted with an arrow trained at the one holding her aloft.

“DWARVES! NOW THERE’S A SUPPER WILLIAM!” 

Bert, the one holding her seemed to think Kili had a good idea as he shouted “CATCH!” before launching her right at the archer. Pain exploded everywhere as she collided with him but a sharper one bloomed in her side; Kili quickly set her to the side and joined the fray as Thorin and Dwalin led the charge to engage the three mountain trolls. Briar wasn’t sure what she expected to see when she looked down but the shaft of an arrow sticking from her side near her hip was not on the list.   
“Shit” she squeaked as she tugged on it while watching the dwarves attempt to fight such a large enemy; it wasn’t budging and she could not tell if it was bone or one of the stays in her corset keeping it there but she knew better than to keep trying to remove it herself. She held her breath as she snapped the shaft off as close to her body as she could and ran to help however she could. That would be the downfall of the battle as William and Bert turned her into a bargaining chip for the dwarves surrender. She shook her head as Thorin met her eyes and the King only bowed his head as he threw down his sword.  
Never had she felt like such a Fool of Took than in that moment as she watched Tom tie half the dwarves to a spit and William tied the rest including her into smelly burlap sacks.   
Adrenaline stole her pain as she sailed through the air again to land on Thorin. When she tried to apologize Thorin had just shut his beautiful eyes and shook his head. She hoped that meant ‘not here’ rather than ‘never forgiving you’ and she began to wiggle and writhe to get off of Thorin and gain her footing.

In all his days had Nori ever seen something so peculiar than Briar discussing cooking techniques with a Troll.  
“You have to um skin them first!” she declared to which resulted in a cries of outrage from the rest of the Company and “Whose side are you on?” shouted by Dwalin from the spit where they’d tied him.  
“Tha’s a load of rubbish” stated the one that had done up the spit “We’ve eaten loads of em clothes and all.”  
The ground shook as he drew near where they were all in sacks “I think we should start with this one” he lifted Bombur into the air and opened his maw.   
Briar’s high pitched voice cut through Bombur’s cries of fear “I WOULDN’T EAT THAT ONE!”  
He lowed Bombur just a touch “Why’s tha?”  
Confusion flashed across her face before it settled into a knowing look “He’s got worms! In his tubes.”  
That made him drop Bombur like he’d been burned and it was Nori's misfortune to be under the larger dwarf along with Bofur to cushion his fall.  
 **“What is she doing?”** Bofur whispered to him as they watched her maneuver.  
He saw her ears twitch and noticed her darting a glance towards the East.  
 **“I-I think she’s buying time for something.”**

  
Briar thought she had seen Gandalf slip behind the boulder to her left and she could see the faint pinking of the sky; Bert confirmed it when he told his brothers “Get on with it! Dawns not far away and I have no wish to be stone.”  
Her voice held steady and she silently thanked Yavanna “In fact they are all infested. I wouldn’t risk it I really wouldn’t.” she added a nod at the end to push home her opinion.  
Kili’s outraged voice rang out behind her “I haven’t got parasites! You’ve got parasites!”  
She shared a commiserating look with Thorin and he kicked Kili for her. A quick look between them seemed to make Kili realize he needed to play along.  
Soon they were all shouting “Oh yeah I’ve got parasites!” “I’ve got loads of em” one even went so far to say they had em as long as their arm.

Briar thought she might actually pass out when Gandalf’s appeared on top of the boulder and his voice rang through the clear “DAWN TAKE YOU ALL AND BE STONE!”

  
Briar was grateful to sink down on to a stump and held her arm close to her chest; she felt bone deep tired and very sorry for herself for how the night had gone. In the end the ponies had bolted and had yet to return, Thorin had told her off for attempting to rescue the mounts all by herself and everyone else had separated off into their family groups leaving her alone again. Gandalf had stopped by to check on her but he barely got two words out before Thorin was barking for an audience with him.  
“I’ll be back my dear.”  
She just nodded and tried to ignore the pain that was trying to consume her senses. Ori settled in next to her, journal out quill flying and she appreciated the silent companionship. Shouting came from where the others were clustered around Thorin and his nephews.  
“What are they saying?” she asked jerking her head in the direction of commotion.  
Ori cocked his head not looking up “Tharkun thinks there is a cave nearby where the trolls sheltered during the day. Bofur and Gloin are going to go look for it.”  
She shivered “Go into a troll hoard? I’ll pass on that one.”  
Ori nodded “Likewise.” 

Excited shouts came again and Ori told her they had found it; she felt like she should get excited but she was trying to discreetly feel for the shaft of the arrow and was beginning to worry when she learned it was no longer outside her body.  
 _When they threw me the impact with Thorin must have pushed it farther in. Just fucking great; how am I going to tell them I was injured in the fiasco that was my fault?_  
That would be a worry for a later date as a sled pulled by the most fascinating creatures pulled up with a man on it shouting for Gandalf. She stood slowly and was thankful it didn’t hurt to walk to she could investigate what was going on. Whatever had the fellow upset seemed to also upset Gandalf but before she could ask what was wrong a howl rent the air that made the hair on her arms stand up. A warg bigger than any she had seen sprang from the brush only to be quickly dispatched by Thorin and Dwalin.  
“Here” Gandalf slipped her a small sword “Use this if you need to. It glows blue in the presence of Orcs and Goblins.”  
“But-but Gandalf I…” he whirled away to ask Thorin a barrage of questions before more howls rang from around them.  
“Here’s your pack but the ponies are long gone.” Nori set her belongings beside her with a crooked smile.  
“Thank you” she tried to smile back as her side throbbed as she shouldered the rucksack.

“Are you ok?”

She nodded quickly but Nori wasn’t sure he believed her. He’d seen how lonely she looked while Dori fussed over him and Ori; he’s tried to go to her but Bofur needed help looking for the ponies and getting the supplies from the camp site. When he had returned she had been huddled up looking impossibly small for someone that had just stalled trolls and he’d tried to slip away to her again but Bofur had caught him again to tell him about the troll hoard and give him a few coins. Her pack had given him the excuse he needed to go by her, that’s when he noticed the faint lines of pain she was trying to hide and she wasn’t using her left arm very much. The urge to yell for Oin warred with what he thought she’d want. It was obvious she hadn’t alerted the medic nor wanted any attention since she was clearly hiding how much pain she was.   
A Dori-ish need to fuss over her rose up in him taking him by surprise; he hadn’t thought he had a side like that to him!  
“Quickly, quickly, follow me! Radagast is going to run a distraction for us!” Tharkun called to them waving his staff in the direction to go. He tried to stay near as they ran but she fell further and further behind before he grabbed her free hand and pulled her behind him. He missed the tears streaming down her face and tried to keep them close to the others and keep an eye as the orc pack seemed to circle them.

They reached the outcrop shortly after the rest and she sagged against the stone “Nori, I can’t… I can’t run anymore.”

  
Briar wanted to scream at the pain in her shoulder but the pain in her side stole her breath. All she knew was that she couldn’t run anymore even if it meant dying at the hands of Orcs like so many of her kin.   
“This way you fools!” Gandalf popped out of a cave that she swore was not there a minute ago. Thorin pushed Fili down first and the rest followed before Nori pulled her down with him. It was a lot steeper than she had expected. Nori held onto the best he could as they slid down but that didn’t stop her skirt from riding up and the rough terrain tearing her skin.They reached the bottom fairly quickly and she thanked Yavanna as she tried to stand. Pain screamed in her side and she braced herself bent double against the cave wall.  
“Burglar, are you alright?” Thorin startled her appearing right beside her.  
“I’m fine. Just winded” she waved him off not caring how rude it was to dismiss a king.  
“No you’re not.” He answered and she shot him a dirty look.  
“Yes I am.”  
“But you’re clearly not. Burglar you’re bleeding.” He sounded disgruntled that she arguing with him.   
She straightened to her full height and looked him square in the eye “It’s nothing. I scrapped my legs sliding down. First chance I get I’m turning my skirts into trousers.”  
Thorin opened his mouth but it was Kili’s voice that piped up “Briar you’re bleeding!”  
“Kili I know!” she snapped “It’s fine.”  
Fili walked up beside his uncle concern evident in his lighter blue eyes “Ms. Baggins you have blood running down your leg. I do not think that it from a scrape.”  
She glanced down to see a rivulet of blood running over her knee and heading towards her filthy foot “Shit.”  
Panic screamed through her mind  _I can't tell him I'm injured! It'll just prove that I'm a liability like he thought and they'll leave me behind!_ A calm washed over her as a plan began to form  _I'll wait till dark when everyone is asleep and I'll borrow a pair of pliers or something and pull the arrow out myself. They'll be none the wiser._

Dwalin’s voice echoed through the cave “There’s a path up here! Do we follow it?”  
Thorin shared a look with her that she couldn't decipher before shouting back “YES!”  
Fili beckoned to his brother and Kili crept up with a wounded look in his big brown eyes that made her feel as though she had dropped kicked his teddy bear.  
“I’m sorry Kili. It’s alright.”  
He perked up at that and before she could protest took her pack from her while Fili tried to take her arm.  
“I can carry my own pack Kili. Fili I can walk it’s not that bad.”

Nori watched the Princes bookend Briar and he strained to see where she was bleeding from but make it look like he wasn’t looking.  
“Her leg Nadad” Ori gestured quietly to where she was slowly beginning to leave a bloody foot print every other step. She must have felt his eyes upon her as she glanced over her shoulder to meet his gaze and smile a little in response before following the others up the path and out into a hidden valley.  
Ori looked as though his eyes might pop from his head as he goggled at what was nestled in the heart to of the valley in front of them “Is that really…”  
Tharkun’s voice boomed behind them “Rivendell, Master Ori it is. Welcome to the Last Homely House where Elrond dwells.”

 

  
  


 

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More growing feelings, stubborn hobbits and shenanigans ensue.   
> ::Graphic blood and wound description in beginning of chapter!::

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this has been a bit of a slow go but I intend to try and pick up the pace soon. 
> 
> On a different note I now know how to treat an arrow wound which with soon to be 3 kids not a terrible thing to know lol

Briar was pleased with herself at the moment but would later look back on how stupid she had actually been. 

Gandalf, Lord Elrond and Nori had all asked her multiple times if she needed to go to the Halls of Healing or if she had wanted them to look at her injuries. Despite the pain and fuzziness that was eating at the edge of her vision she had smiled and told them No insisting instead that she just needed to rest and take a bath.   
None of the males had looked as though they believed her but they had showed her to her private room that shared a courtyard with the rooms the rest of the Company had been appointed and left her alone.   
  
Nori had only met a few elves and those interactions had been marred with the fact they didn't trust him (for good reason considering he robbed them) or spoke Westron so they didn't understand him either. Lord Elrond was different; he didn't look at them as if they were vermin and he was a gracious host that seemed to have thought of their every need.   
Nori had not been expecting the Lord of The Last Homely House to know or even remember his name so it was quite the shock when the elven lord asked for a moment of his time.  
"Yes?"  
Lord Elrond sat on one of the benches that ringed the courtyard and Nori found it put them at almost eye level. Sunlight winked off the circlet that Elrond wore and Nori found himself wondering what sort of metal it was made from while he waited for the elf to answer him.   
"I understand you are very fond of Miss Baggins, yes?"   
He could feel his face heating as he looked to see if anyone was nearby before answering "Ahem yes I suppose you could say that."   
Elrond gave him a bemused smile that made Nori feel like Elrond could see things that Nori had no clue about "Good. I think Miss Baggins has gotten herself into a spot of trouble. It would be a good decision to check on her in about an hour. If I am needed just call my name." and with that he rose from the bench, nodded to Nori and walked away.   
"Well that was rather cryptic" Ori popped up from the other side of the rose bush from where Nori stood.   
"Where the hell did you come from?"

  
  
Briar bit her lip to stifle a squeal as she pulled her blouse over her head; her arm screamed at the motion and white spots danced in her vision. When they stopped dancing and cleared she could see in the looking glass that her arm and shoulder were an array of purples, blues and almost blacks.   
 _I suppose it could look worse_ she mused turning to the side to see that the mottling wrapped around to her shoulder blade.  
 _Compared to what? A knife wound?_ a new voice that sounded a lot like her father chimed sounding critical.   
Speaking of which... she glanced down at the wound on her side that had begun to weep blood with her new movements. Studying it for the first time it really wasn't much of an injury perhaps as long as her little fingers, a tidy slice in near her hip bone. She attempted to probe it a little and pain lanced through her tinged with nausea of feeling the inside of the puncture.   
 _Now is not the time to be squeamish! Unless I want to go to Oin for help which I do not then I have to find the arrow myself._ The thought of what Thorin and the rest would say if it came to light that she injured already made her want to cringe in embarrassment.    
 _Nope nope nope! I can do this!_ She drew in a deep breath and pressed a index finger into the wound, a soft scream slipping past her lips as she slid past the first knuckle and still no arrow. She began panting hard as the pain began to ride her down, blood welling around her finger to run and drip down her palm. Second knuckle and still nothing, desperation was beginning to make her heart race and she gritted her teeth as she pressed on. She had reached the last knuckle when the tip of her finger finally hit something hard and she prayed it wasn't bone. Conflict warred in her as she debated pulling her finger out or trying to add another to try to grab the arrow to pull it out.

Should she pull it out?

Or push it through? She strained to see in the looking glass to see if her flesh moved when she prodded the shaft. 

Nothing. 

She looked at the pliers she had pinched from Kili laying on the edge of the basin in front of her, they looked awfully big compared to her finger. For a moment she thought she was going to be sick as she imagined putting that tool inside of her but quickly shook her head banishing that negative thought.   
 _I can do this! I am Belladonna Took's daughter.  
_ Darkness ate at the edge of her vision as she slipped the cold metal in beside her finger, the area around the wound began to burn and she could feel something hot running down her thigh.   
 _Just a little further, a little more, come on almost there, what is that noise? Hey the pain is fading some._  
  
Nori hadn't actually meant to follow the elf Lord's suggestion but he'd be damned if he wasn't outside her door a little after the hour had passed. A brisk knock went unanswered and confusion began to knit his brow and he rapped his knuckles harder on the solid wood door.   
No response.   
He spotted Bifur sitting on a bench in the sunlight nibbling on a purple flower.   
Have you been here long? Nori signed quickly to the old warrior.   
Bifur nodded A while now. These flowers are tasty and don't seem to be anywhere else in the garden.  
Has Briar left her room? She's not answering the door.  
Bifur cocked his head and gave Nori a sly look, sunlight winking off the ax head lodged in his forehead.   
Oh it's not like that! he signed slapping his hands at the end to drive home his point.   
Alright Bifur looked doubtful No she has not left her room since you dropped her off.  
Lord Elrond's words swirled through his mind and he found himself knocking hard enough to shake the large door.   
 **"Nori what is going on?"** Bifur stepped up beside him.   
 **"Elrond hinted that she might be in trouble."**  Nori muttered expecting Bifur to dismiss the elf's words.  **  
** That must have been all the older dwarf needed because he began to hammer on the door as well. Still  no answer came from inside.   
 **"Stand back"** Bifur growled moving back as if he planned to charge the portal.   
 **"STOP! No need for that when I have these"** Nori threw up a hand in halt as he flourished his lock picks from one of his hidden vest pockets.   
The locks of elves were no match a dwarf and Nori wondered briefly if he should say something to Lord Elrond about making better locks but decided not to. It's not like there could be a lot of crime in the last homely house.   
Briar's room was quiet, too quiet if Nori was honest. The little hobbit was a soft snorer and not even that sound was in the still air; in face her bed hadn't been touched, no candles lit since this room was on the eastern side away from the sun, her pack sat untouched against the small table near the windows, curtains shifting in the soft breeze.   
 **"She's not here."** Bifur rumbled peering around the door frame.   
A glint of light under a door caught Nori's eye "She's in the bathroom. Should I...?"   
Bifur upturned one corner of his mouth **"I don't think she'd appreciate you catching her bathing."  
** A retort died on his lips when a soft clatter broke the silence louder than if someone had slammed a door. Nori was across the room and tapping on the bathroom door in a blink, Bifur close behind him.   
"Briar, Briar are you in there?"   
The only response was a soft sound and the dwarves shared a look before Bifur rapped on the door again.   
"'Ose ther? I canna reach the door righ' now." came a slurred whisper.   
"Briar it's me and Bifur. I'm coming in." Nori was surprised when the brass knob turned in his hand.   
"Al'igh jus don tell Thor'n"   
The smell of blood metallic and sharp assailed his nose before his eyes even landed on Briar leaning against the wall by the sink, blood puddling around her.   
"SWEET **MAHAL'S** BALLS! BRIAR!"   
The lass gave them a sweet smile that did nothing to take away from the horror of her pale face sitting there, she brushed a curl off of her forehead and left a smear of blood behind.   
 **"Nori what should we do?"** Bifur stayed in the door way and could only stare.   
Nori dropped to his knees beside Briar and winced at the feeling of blood seeping through the fabric of his pants; he ran his eyes over her looking for the cause of so much blood. He almost wished he hadn't as it landed on the handle of something sticking out of puncture wound in her side.   
"Briar what happened?"   
She seemed to be struggling to keep her eyes open as she smiled up at him "You're so handsome. Did you know that?"   
He asked the question again and her eyes seemed to focus for a minute on him "Oh that? It's nothing. I'll take care of it in a minute after I rest."   
Get help.  
Bifur was gone in a flash and Nori kept his attention on keeping Briar awake. He sent up prayers for the first time since he was a youngster that help would arrive in time.   
He couldn't stop his eyes from drifting down to the handle sticking up from her side "Briar" he kept his tone soothing "What were you trying to do? How... how..."  
She smiled sloppily and placed a finger on his lips silencing him "Shhhh it's nothing. I can fix it, no problem. Just caught on somethin' is all."   
The urge to touch the implement was there but he couldn't stomach the idea of actually pulling on them; blood was seeping sluggishly around it and for the first time the sight of the fluid nauseated him.   
Gravity took hold and she began to slide down the wall as her lashes fluttered. Thought fled as he pulled her to lean against him careful to not jar the wound "Hey,hey Briar wake up. Come on sweetie keep talking to me."   
The hobbit snuggled into his shoulder with a sigh "But 'm sleepy."  
A chuckle lightened his panic a little "I know but I still need to know how you go hurt."   
A snort was his answer and he prodded more until she grumped "Just a little thing. Troll tossed me into Kili."   
He suddenly had a very good idea of what she was trying to dislodge "Why didn't you ask for help?"  
Bleary green eyes looked up at him "You're so cute when you're worried. Kind, sweet, caring, funny, smart. You're really a catch ya know that?"   
His face felt hotter than a forge and his heart was beating faster than those weird rabbits could run "Thank you for that. But why didn't you ask for help?"   
Briar waved a hand limply through the air "Didn't wanna be a burden, or be left behind. Thor'n already doesn't think much of me."

 

The injured miner had done well. He not only brought Oin but also Tharkun and Lord Elrond showed up shortly there after. Oin had kept Nori with him while he assessed Briar's condition, she had still been speaking when the old medic arrived. That had ended when he touched the handle of what they now assumed were pliers sticking from her abdomen; Briar had screamed and then slumped against him boneless.   
Oin had insisted that Nori carry her to the bed so that they could work quickly to stop the bleeding; faster than if they had left her on the cold tile floor of the bathroom. Her blood ran faster when he lifted her into his arms and he found himself almost running to the bed where he laid her on the crisp white sheets.   
Panic and adrenaline fueled him as he did everything Oin directed him to from fetching towels to covering her breasts to afford her some privacy. He forgot about the blood drying on his pants or arms as he watched Oin probe the wound while conferring softly with Tharkun.   
 _"I don't think pulling it out is the right option."  
"Then what would you suggest? Pushing it through? Do you even know what it is?"  
"I have a suspicion but nothing granite."  
"Did you ask Nori?"   
  
_The white haired pair turned to look at the thief where he was caressing Briar's brow "What?"   
"Master Nori, would you happen to know the cause of Miss Baggins injury?" Tharkun stayed where he was knelt beside the bed holding one of Briar's small hands in his much larger ones.   
Nori nodded feeling very exposed under the wizard's keen gaze "Aye, she kinda told me while we were waiting for help. BUT! You canna tell Kili for it would kill the lad."   
Grey eyebrows almost met the hairlines of the group while they nodded that they wouldn't tell the young prince.   
Nori tugged on his middle beard braid "Well ya see when we were fighting the trolls one of em tossed Briar at the prince while he had an arrow trained on the brute. From what I figure the arrow accidentally stuck her and somehow broke off in the fight."   
Oin paled while Bifur cursed and Tharkun just shook his head "Why didn't she tell anyone she was injured?"  
Nori held up a long finger "That I do know. She was worried we'd leave her behind or think less of her for gettin hurt." he grimaced "we haven't been the most welcoming bunch to travel with."   
Oin and Bifur cringed while Tharkun pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand "Save me from the suspiciousness of dwarves."   
"Well we can fix all that later. Right now we need to save her life before we can make amends" Oin declared clapping his hands together "The decision is still do we try to pull it out like she was OR push it the rest of the way through?"   
"For that Master Oin I think someone will have to probe the inside of the wound so we can ascertain how much further it has to go in either direction." Lord Elrond's voice answered from the threshold. Behind him Nori could see what looked like Thorin and the rest of the company gathered in a semi circle before Elrond shut the door in their faces.   
"Who is going to do that?" wondered Nori out loud looking at the healers gathered.   
Oin held up thick fingers with large arthritic looking knuckles "I don't think I will be the best bet."   
Tharkun shook his head "I am doing what I can to keep her from bleeding to death."  
Lord Elrond nodded "Then Master Nori it is up to you and I."  
"How can I help?"   
The elf lord sat on the edge of the bed and peered at the wound "I will need you to keep this object from moving while I investigate."   
Nori felt like he might throw up "Me! Why can't Oin or Tharkun or even Bifur do that?"  
Oin shook his horn at him "I am going to be keeping an eye on her breathing and heartbeat, laddie and I don't think Bifur's battle dreams would like for him to be involved with more blood."   
Guilt burned in his gut at the thought of making the old warrior's nightmares worse and reached out to touch the handle.   
  
It was quickly discovered that it would do less damage to push the arrow head and shaft the last 1/2 inch than try to pull it out.   
Nori and Bifur were shoved from the room and into the arms of their family to wait.   
He honestly thought it was a blessing in disguise as a scream came from behind the shut door that had him retching over the hedge at the thought of Briar waking up to _that._

**Author's Note:**

> For green speech I am using Welsh as I have in my other fics. Please let me know if my translations are off since I've been using Google for the most part. 
> 
>  
> 
> Translations  
> Annwyl~ darling.


End file.
